


Stray Demigod

by ElfGrove



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Stray Demigod AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2016-01-29
Packaged: 2018-03-30 15:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 33,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3941737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElfGrove/pseuds/ElfGrove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on an AU Prompt by tumblr user TinyBro. What if, a couple of months after the events of "The Titans Curse", Jason Grace and Nico Di Angelo met? -- Just outside Detroit, Centurion Jason Grace meets a fledgling demigod living on his own. Both their lives are changed when Jason decides to take this stray back to New Rome with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Finding A Stray

**Author's Note:**

> The original prompt started on tumblr, here: http://tinybro.tumblr.com/post/118140670548/
> 
> This AO3 posting will be basically what went up on Tumblr with a few grammar fixes and two bonus chapters, but it is still a series of snippets with missing chunks of time inbetween as it covers the time from after "The Titan's Curse" through after the end of "Blood of Olympus".

_The kid was gone again._

That was the first thing Jason noticed when he cracked one eye open in the pre-dawn light. This was the second night in a row since he’d taken the younger demigod into the company of his questing party that he had wandered off sometime in the middle of the night. It was dangerous for a demigod to be alone, that was why he had insisted the boy travel with them back to Camp Jupiter. He’d lost one Legionnaire during the quest to clear out some Cyclopes in Detroit, and luckily his other companion slept like a rock. This meant there were still only three demigods traveling together, and that the legacy of Venus wasn’t awake to notice and comment on how suspicious it was.  _She already distrusted the kid, no need to add fuel to that particular fire._

Jason heard the shifting dirt and debris as the mysterious demigod returned to the camp. He rolled in place within his sleeping bag, pretending he was just shifting in his sleep instead of having been awake to notice the boy’s absence. The Centurion badge on his shirt dug painfully into his skin for his trouble, as if reminding him that his position did not allow him to ignore the suspicious behavior. He was going to have to follow if it happened again tomorrow night. He had to know where the kid was going and what he was doing before he brought him into Camp Jupiter. He had responsibilities after all. Jason made an audible groan before sitting up, rubbing his eyes and turning to greet the returned demigod.

“Morning.”

Sitting next to the banked campfire, the boy shifted in place uncomfortably, not meeting Jason’s eyes. “Morning.”

He had trouble being suspicious of the kid. He reminded Jason of a stray cat he had tried to befriend back in New Rome. It wasn’t bad, just afraid to trust humans after being abandoned and mistreated. Such a young demigod living on his own must have had so many people turn into monsters before his eyes while mortals didn’t believe him, of course he’d be stand offish. Just like that stray cat. Jason hoped this stray wasn’t going to end up clawing him for his trouble.

“Want some breakfast?”

“I don’t need a handout.”

That’s what he said, but the curling black hair wasn’t long enough to disguise the way his eyes tracked Jason’s hands as he stowed the sleeping bag and started to extract the cooking utensils and rations from his pack.

“It’s not a handout. You’re a fellow demigod, and you’ve been helping with the monsters we’ve encountered the last two days.”

“You fought. I didn’t do anything.”

Jason smiled gently, “Gina’s injured. You’ve kept her moving and out of the line of direct combat. I can’t do that and fight monsters at the same time. I might have lost her if you weren’t here to help.”

“What happened to the other demigod on your quest?”

“I never said there was another demigod.” Jason didn’t stop preparing the food.

“But there was, wasn’t there? There’s always supposed to be three, and bad things happen if you break that rule.”

“Who told you that?”

The boy didn’t respond.

Jason sighed, “Phil was a son of Mercury. He died when we were fighting a group of Cyclopes in Detroit.” There was a long pause as Jason remembered the horrific death he’d been too late to stop. He and Gina had rallied and destroyed every last one of the Cyclopes in revenge. “He was very brave.”

“Don’t you mean Hermes?”

Jason looked at him quizzically. “No. Hermes is the Greek name. The gods evolved with the Roman Empire a long time ago. He was a son of Mercury. Gina’s a legacy of Venus. Her grandmother, I think, was a daughter of Venus.” Jason bit his lip, reluctant to reveal his own parentage.  _People inevitably treated him differently, but it would be strange not to say. Besides, he wanted this kid to trust him, and that wouldn’t happen if he was obviously hiding something._  “I’m a son of Jupiter.”

The boy blinked at him slowly, dark eyes focused on Jason’s blue. Jason could almost hear the gears turning in his head. “Jupiter. Like Zeus. The king of the gods.”

“Yeah.” Jason spoke softly, the same tone he’d used when trying to coax the stray cat to take food from his hand. “What about you?”

Those dark eyes looked terrified, like he expected to be pushed away… or hit. Jason suppressed a flash of anger at that thought. “I’m a son of Hades.”

“Pluto.” Jason corrected gently, resisting the urge to reach out and grab the kid and not let go.  _He was finally opening up! He was another child of the big three! Jason wasn’t the only one!_  He fought to keep speaking softly and slowly instead of whooping for joy. “It’s an honor to finally meet another child of the big three. I’ve felt pretty alone there.”

“No.” The boy looked at the dirt between his feet and seemed to curl in on himself, the shadows around him growing darker despite the rising sun. “I’m Nico, son of Hades. I’m Greek.”

Jason carefully set the food where Nico could reach it, but didn’t touch him despite the increasing urge to. He suddenly felt like there was a very real risk the kid, Nico, would disappear before his eyes. “Well Nico, I’m Jason, and I’m still happy to not be alone with that anymore.”

Nico was looking at him again, eyes darting back and forth as if expecting some lie to reveal itself on his face. When he spoke, there was shocked wonder in his voice, “You really mean that.”

“Yeah.”

Gina stirred behind them, and both boys turned to look. Jason took a deep breath and reached for his pack again.  _Thank goodness Gina hadn’t been awake for that; she was already wary of Nico. Greek demigods weren’t supposed be trusted. They weren’t even supposed to exist anymore, but Nico didn’t seem untrustworthy. He just seemed like an abandoned and scared kid. Dakota was going to give him hell about adopting a stray again when he brought Nico back to camp., but it would be worth it._  

“Go ahead and start eating. I’ll prep a plate for Gina and get her to drink more Unicorn Drought before we get moving again.”


	2. The Third Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's their third night camping together, and Nico's gone missing again. He has to find out why.

Jason knew immediately that Nico had left again. He didn’t even have to open his eyes to sense the lack of the third demigod presence.

_Since finding out Nico was a son of Hades this morning, he felt more attuned to the younger demigod. No. That wasn’t right. He was just hyper-aware of everything Nico did now. It was possible he was scared of Nico leaving and not coming back. Scared of losing track of the first demigod that shared a similar weight of expectations that he did. Gods. He was scared of what it meant in terms of monster attacks to have he and Nico both in the same place. That wasn’t the thing to focus on right now though. The question now was, could he find where Nico had snuck off to in the middle of the night?_

Jason sat up in his sleeping bag, looking over to check that Gina was still asleep. Completely conked out. Her injured leg was healing quickly thanks to the Ambrosia and Unicorn Drought, but a full day spent travelling still exhausted her. He hoped Nico hadn’t wandered far. He couldn’t leave Gina alone for long under the circumstances, but he needed to know what Nico was up to.

Jason straightened his purple t-shirt and checked that his golden coin, Ivlivs, was still securely in it’s place in his pocket before he started following the most likely track out of their makeshift camp.

It didn’t take long to find him. Jason hadn’t gotten far when he heard the clang of metal on metal, and recognized the sound of swords clashing. He dashed into the clearing without thinking, his imperial gold sword meeting a blade being swung downward towards Nico before it had a chance to connect. He shoved forward, forcing his opponent to stagger backwards and away. Only then did it register that his opponent was a skeleton, rags of clothing made unidentifiable by time and dirt draped over bones. The empty eye sockets managed to stare back at him with malice.

Jason took a step back. “What--”

“What,” Nico’s voice was gasping with exertion. “Are you doing?!”

“Helping you!” Jason couldn’t help the squeak in his voice. He’d fought plenty of monsters in his years as a Legionnaire, but normally they were alive. With flesh. Something that could be killed. He had no idea how to kill a skeleton.

“I don’t need help!” The smaller demigod pushed past him roughly, and snapped his fingers at the skeleton, taking it’s attention away from Jason. The malice seemed to drain out of it’s eyes as it re-focused on Nico. “That’s enough for today. Thank you.”

The skeleton nodded and fell to pieces, the bones and rags sinking back into the earth like they’d never been there.

Jason whirled on Nico, placing his empty hand on one of the boy’s shoulders, looking him up and down with open concern. “Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? What was that?”

Nico shrugged Jason off, sheathing his black sword as he did so. “I’m fine! What are  you doing here? You’re supposed to be asleep!”

“Are you sure?” Jason couldn’t clamp down on the fear entirely yet. “I--”

“I’m fine, Jason. I was training.”

“Traini--” Jason felt his face heat up with embarrassment. “You summoned it.”

“Yes.” Nico raised an eyebrow at him.

_Okay. Yeah. So that should have been obvious. Son of Hades. Lord of the dead. I can summon lightning, he can summon... undead sparring partners. Yeah, still weird._

“I’m sorry. I thought you were in trouble, and--”

Nico’s eyebrows knit together, “Why would that matter to you?”

Jason knew the look on his face had to be horrified. More so than when he realized his opponent was a skeleton instead of a regular monster. He spoke slowly, “Why would it matter? I care what happens to you.”

“Nobody cares what happens to me.”

Jason took a step closer, his eyebrows coming together amidst a tangle of emotions.  _Who in Romulus’ name hurt this kid?_  “I care.”

Nico’s eyes widened and something in his face seemed raw as he looked at Jason for a long moment. The moment passed and he looked away, seeming to curl in on himself again, putting on anger like a cloak. “Give it time,” he muttered. “You’ll lose interest.”

“Try me.” Jason’s voice held a hint of challenge, and he felt like he was stepping onto more familiar ground. If Nico was convinced he would be abandoned, Jason would move the Little Tiber to prove him wrong. Romans didn’t abandon people. He was living proof of that.

Nico shook his head, but more to himself than at Jason.

“That was pretty amazing, summoning a skeleton like that.”

Nico stared at him like he’d lost his mind.

“What?” Jason grinned. “I can’t do that, and it seems like it could be really useful if you can control them and everything.”

“They’re still people,” Nico was almost muttering. “I just ask them to help. It’s not like they’re mindless puppets.”

“Huh.” Jason flipped his sword back into a coin and pocketed it. He was still a little scared of the skeletons if he was being honest, but getting Nico talking, talking about himself, was worth the discomfort. Besides, he was learning about why Nico had been disappearing at night. “Makes sense. So is there a limit to how many you can summon? I mean, how does that work out?”

“Aren’t you scared of me? It’s disgusting, right?”

Jason frowned. “It’s different, and I’ll admit it scared me a bit when I realized I was facing off with a skeleton. Never done that before. But _dii imortales_ Nico, it doesn’t make  _YOU_ scary or disgusting.”

“You’re kind of weird, aren’t you?”

Jason chuckled, “Maybe. Definitely not the first time I’ve been told that.”

“You?”

"Yeah me.” _There was something different coming out from under that cloak of anger this time. Someone used to humor. A hint of someone happier._ Jason wanted to encourage that. “I volunteered to join the Fifth Cohort, but a lot of people tried to talk me out of it because the fifth has a bad reputation. I like it though. No one expects much from them, but they really work the hardest. It’s admirable.”

“So you’re saying you like hard luck cases.”

“I like people who try their best.” He nudged Nico with an elbow. “Like demigods who travel all day and still get up in the middle of the night to train.”

Nico blushed, and didn’t respond.

“Let’s get back to camp. I worry about leaving Gina alone when she’s hurt. We can raid my back-up stash and make some hot chocolate. Maybe, you can tell me how your thing with the skeletons works?”

“...Okay.”

Jason beamed in response to the one word answer.


	3. Train Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conscious Gina. Nico seeing some Roman teamwork in action.

“Just to be clear Centurion,” Gina huffed as she slammed the door behind them and leaned her full weight against it. “I blame you for this.”

Jason followed her motion, eyes searching the train car as they pressed themselves against the closed door, waiting for the inevitable attempt of the monster to slam through it.

“How is this my fault?” Jason replied. “You’re the one that jinxed us. Let me lean on this bronze statue and announce, _‘Looks like we’re home free now.’_ ”

“Talos? From Argonautica?” She was complaining, but there was a hint of humor to it. Gina actually loved fighting, and the relative lack of trouble over the last couple of days had been making her nervous. “This is totally on you and your name, Jason.”

Nico stood in the middle of the train car, looking lost and on the verge of real panic. There wasn’t a way out, only more train cars to run through, and that solution would only buy time, not a solution. At least this compartment didn’t have any mortals in it.

Jason and Gina winced and the car shuddered as something slammed into the other side of the door.

“Incoming.” Gina deadpanned.

“Little late there,” Jason said through gritted teeth. “Ideas?”

“If I remember my mythology right, Talos is supposed to have a vein running from neck to ankle, held shut with a bronze nail. If we can take out the nail, he should go down.”

Another projectile hit the other side of the door, and the two Roman demigods groaned as they put their weight into holding it closed.

“You see the nail?” Jason asked hopefully.

“Nope.” Gina grimaced. “Guess we’ll have to invite him in to look.”

“I saw it,” Nico’s voice was small and nervous, but drew the attention of both Romans.

“Nico! You did?” Jason grinned even as another projectile hit the door. “Do you think you can remove it if we’re distracting him?”

“I,” Black eyes went wide, and the olive-skinned face went a bit paler. “I think so.”

“Okay.” Jason nodded. “Gina, you and I are going to fight him, while Nico removes the nail. Nico, you hide in that corner, let him get past you and start fighting us before you approach, okay?”

Nico nodded, taking a shaky breath as he unsheathed his black sword and moved to crouch in the corner behind where the door would open.

“I hate this plan,”Gina grumbled.

“Only because you didn’t come up with it.” Jason responded cheerfully.

”If we get out of this, I’m petitioning the Praetors to change your name to something nice. Like Chrysanthus.”

Jason shook his head “You’ve been thinking about this, haven’t you?”

“Absolutely.” Gina grinned as they moved away from the door in a synchronization born from years of training together, taking up mirrored guard stances. “Nice, proper, Latin name for you. Bring me less trouble. It’s perfect.”

“You are  _not_  getting my name changed to golden flower.”

Something hit the door again, and this time it bowed inward, creaking open. the swinging door cut off Jason’s line of sight to Nico, but allowed him to see the hard-sided luggage bag roll away from the door and off the moving train. Beyond it, the bronze statue of a man locked eyes with them.

“Says you. I’m going to make a really great speech to the Senate.”

Talos came barreling at them, swinging a pipe he’d acquired at some point during the chase in one hand.

“Sure Gina.”

Gina took the brunt of the first blow, letting it slide along her pilum and towards the outside wall. Jason circled around, slamming his sword into the unguarded side of the monster. Talos began to turn on him in response, only for Gina to slam the end of her pilum across his face the moment his attention changed to Jason.

“They’ll agree its in everyone’s best interest, and you’ll still be the legion’s graceful golden boy.”

It went like that. The Roman demigods taking turns dealing blows and dancing out of the reach of Talos’ bronze arms. Alone, it was a hopeless tactic. Talos wasn’t managing to land a hit on them, but their blows were more distracting than harmful. Talos was a man wrought from bronze. He wouldn’t tire. They would.

“In your dreams.” 

“Prophetic dreams. It’s gonna happen Grace.”

But the practiced dance of two seasoned Roman Legionnaires was exactly why Nico could turn the tide. Talos didn’t have time to notice the smaller demigod slip out of the corner and into the fray. Every time his head might have turned that way, an Imperial Gold weapon struck, demanding his attention. So the bronze monster never saw Nico dart in, two, three, four times. Slipping into openings in his guard to slash with his black sword until a bronze stopper was knocked completely loose. It hit the floor of the train car with a metallic clang that echoed in the confined space.

Talos turned on the youngest demigod with a wordless cry of rage even as golden dust started to spill out of the hole in his side. A bronze fist went slamming towards Nico who found himself suddenly the center of attention where he crouched between two battered rows of seating.

Gina slammed into the monster, using her pilum to force it off course and into the car wall, a stream of golden dust showing it’s changed momentum. Nico looked up at her, standing between him and the monster’s planned path as it crumbled into oblivion.

“T-th-than--”

Gina cut him off with a scowl that Nico was starting to become familiar with, “Not bad for a new recruit.”

Jason jumped over the golden dust and torn up train car parts to come to their side. He clapped Gina on the shoulder with a broad smile before turning to Nico. He grabbed one of Nico’s arms and pulled him to his feet. “Great job Nico!”

Nico just blinked in disbelief.

“You’re okay, right?” The happy glow in Jason’s eyes faded slightly. “Not hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine.”

Jason put one arm around Nico’s shoulder pulling him into a brief hug. “Okay! Let’s move to another car and find some seats that are still in one piece then.”

Nico blinked in wonder as Jason released him to retrieve his and Gina’s backpacks, moving towards the door to the next car. 

A dark brown hand came into the corner of Nico’s vision and ruffled his hair. Gina’s smile was small, barely an upturn of one corner of her mouth.

Nico offered his own tentative smile in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * "Argonautica" is the name of the Greek epic poem that told the story of Jason and the Argonauts.  
> * Talos is one of the monsters the original Ancient Greek Jason faced in "Argonautica", he was a giant man made of bronze who hurled rocks at thee Argonauts to keep them from Crete.  
> * Pilum - a traditional Roman army weapon, a javelin.


	4. Roman Lares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They were finally back in New Rome.

They were finally back in New Rome.

Gina had headed straight for the bathhouse, and Jason was making sure Nico saw a bit of the camp before the inevitable appointment in the Principia.

Nico walked ahead of him, looking around the barracks area in undisguised wonder. Jason just watched him. Nico’s progress through the camp was halting. He’d take a few steps forward, then stop and his would head quest from side to side as if there was more going on than he could wrap his mind around.

Nico was still skittish, if that term could be accurately applied to a person, but he seemed to have grown at least a little more comfortable around Jason and Gina during their journey to Camp Jupiter. Jason still didn’t know why Nico was on his own, or where he had been before that he seemed to know a little about being a demigod. _Tartarus, he didn’t even know how it was possible that Nico was a Greek demigod._

After passing a few buildings, Nico came back to walk beside him, head still turning this way and that to watch around him. He tentatively reached one hand towards Jason’s, as if he was going to take it before pulling his hand back to himself in a jerking motion. Jason decided not to comment on it.

Nico’s voice was barely above a whisper, “They’re ghosts.”

“Yeah,” Jason spoke warmly, wishing Nico would re-attempt contact. He didn’t freak out when Jason touched him, but he had yet to initiate any. “They’re Lares, house gods. They’re Roman ancestral spirits that hang around to advise and try to help the Legion.”

“The demigods here, they’re not freaked out having all these ghosts around?”

”No. The Lares are pretty friendly, although they can be annoying sometimes.”

Jason watched as several Lares moved closer to Nico, trying to act like they weren’t paying just as much attention to the son of Hades as he was to them. They were following at a distance, whispering among themselves, but not addressing Nico or himself directly.

Jason caught the gaze of a Lare he knew to be reasonably level-headed and waved a greeting. “Septimus!”

Septimus managed to look offended at having been singled out, but he separated from the group he’d been ensconced with and drifted over. Behind him, his fellow Lares seemed to form into an even tighter circle, the whispering among them intensifying.

“Welcome back to Camp Jupiter, Centurion Grace.” At the end of his greeting Septimus’s transparent purple eyes shifted to look at the smaller demigod.

“It’s good to be back.” Jason gestured to Nico who was watching their interaction cautiously. “This is Nico Di Angelo, a demigod I met during my quest.”

Septimus shifted uneasily, as if he didn’t want to acknowledge Nico’s presence directly. After a long moment, Septimus bowed deeply to Nico. “Son of Pluto, welcome to Camp Jupiter.”

Nico started at the greeting, and over Septimus’s bent form he and Jason both saw several other Lares, now turned towards him and bowing as well. Legionnaires who had been ignoring the newcomer being escorted by one of Fifth Cohort’s Centurions, now turned to look, seeing Jason and Nico at the center of the commotion, or rather lack of commotion typical to the Lares.

Nico took a step back, and Jason gripped one of his shoulders firmly to keep him from running away.

Nico hissed in a panic, “They’re all--”

“I know. I’m right here. You’re okay.” Jason looked up at Septimus, who was now standing straight again. The other Lares had stopped bowing, but were watching Nico more openly now. “Thank you Septimus. How did you know that Nico is--”

“I’m dead Centurion. I know a child of the Underworld when I meet them. What confuses me is how he can be here and a Graecus?”

The other Lares in the immediate vicinity repeated the word; ‘Graecus’ became an echo that reverberated around the square.

Nico edged closer to Jason, “A what?”

“It means you’re Greek, Nico.” Jason narrowed his eyes. “Although I have no idea how you can tell, Septimus.”

“A true Roman knows.”

“Is that a problem?” Jason’s voice made it a challenge.

“Normally,” Septimus let it trail off. “A child of Pluto is different.”

“Why?”

“Because we-- Because I don’t belong anywhere.” Nico suddenly stepped away from Jason, breaking the contact of hand to shoulder, “We’re not supposed to be with other demigods. We only belong around the dead.”

“I don’t accept that.” Jason looked at Nico, debating whether or not grabbing the boy again would make matters worse or ensure he wasn't going anywhere. His palms itched with that same feeling from the campfire, that Nico could disappear right before his eyes and no amount of speed or practice with tracking would find him again. He didn’t know what was right. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn’t the only child of the big three gods. He refused to lose finding someone else like him over something as stupid as being Greek or Roman. “Let’s move on Nico. You still haven’t seen the city, or Temple Hill.”

“Jason...”

Jason lowered his voice to just above a whisper, his tone urgent and he leaned the tiniest bit closer to Nico, “Do you want to leave?”

“I,” Nico seemed to choke on the words and he glared at the ground. “No.”

“Good.”

Nico looked up at him again, dark eyes wide, cheeks dusted with pink, eyebrows knitted in frustration, “You’re really weird.”

Jason gave him a tentative grin, “I think we already covered that.”


	5. First Visit to the Principia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camp Half-Blood’s friendly and safe facade had been a lie. At least Camp Jupiter was being honest with him.

Jason was probably in the Principia so often, he forget how intimidating the place could be. Nico wanted to curl in on himself and disappear.

This was nothing like the Big House at Camp Half-Blood. The farmhouse in an idyllic setting with it’s light layer of snowfall, Christmas lights, and a warm fire in the hearth had been the very vision of welcoming and inviting. The orientation video had portrayed his coming life as a demigod as difficult but heroic and exciting, not anymore truly dangerous than the card games and adventure novels he had been familiar with.

_Camp Half-Blood’s friendly and safe facade had been a lie. At least Camp Jupiter was being honest with him._

Nico balled his hands into fists and forced himself to stand straight. He wanted to grab Jason’s hand for support. He wanted to hide behind the older demigod and trust the friendly smiles and the protective way Jason gripped his shoulder.

_I’m not making that mistake again._

The two story white marble building with thick columns let into an equally intimidating large marble room. The ceiling glittered with a mosaic of Romulus and Remus under the wolf goddess Lupa (Nico recognized the image from a similar depiction on a Mythomagic card). The floor was polished marble. The walls were draped in velvet. Along the back wall stood a display of banners and wooden poles studded with bronze medals, although the center stand stood conspicuously empty. In the back corner, a stairwell led down. It was blocked by a row of iron bars like a prison door.

Nico tried not to think about what that was used for.  _Jason wouldn’t let them-- He was not going to depend on Jason to protect him. They had traveled together because it was mutually beneficial. That was all. The way Jason looked at him didn’t mean anything. It certainly meant less than Jason’s warm interactions with Gina, who was beautiful and not nearly as gruff as her outside demeanor._

In the center of the room, a long wooden table was cluttered with scrolls, notebooks, tablet computers, daggers, and a large bowl filled with jelly beans.  _Probably poison. Or truth serum. Or something equally nefarious. This was a war room, not a living room with hot chocolate and a leopard head that ate dog treats._

A serious-looking older boy in a purple t-shirt looked up from his seat in one of two high backed chairs at the far end of the table. Brown eyes focused on the newcomers, and his frown lines deepened.

“Exspectata domus1, Centurion Grace.” The boy stood, his face still a grave mask. “The camp has been in something of an uproar since you returned.”

“Gratias2 Praetor.” Jason shot him an apologetic smile, “Too be fair, no one was in anything remotely resembling an uproar, until the Lares made a big deal of it.”

_I can’t tell if they’re ignoring me or talking about me. Jason said I had to come here and be introduced to the Praetors after he’d made his first report. There’s only one person here though._

“Jason,” The Praetor rubbed the spot between his eyes as if to ward off an oncoming headache.

“Marius,” Jason interrupted. “You’ve known me since I was 3. The Legion is my life. I’m telling you, they’re making a big deal over nothing.”

“’Graecus.’” A girl’s voice came from behind them, and Nico jumped and turned to watch the newcomer enter. 

He was starting to feel cornered.  _That never ended well._

She was tall and the willowy kind of thin with red hair cut almost as short as Jason’s, wearing the same purple t-shirt that seemed to be standard for Camp Jupiter. Beside her stalked two greyhounds that seemed to be made entirely of silver and gold.

“Everyone’s talking about how the Lares say there’s a Greek in the camp,” She brushed past them, taking a seat in the second high-backed chair before meeting Jason and Nico’s eyes. “And you send word you found a new demigod out on your quest. Please tell me these two things aren’t connected, Jason.”

“They are.”

The female Praetor dropped her head into her hands and propped her elbows on the table with an exhausted sounding thump. “Please tell me he’s always been this much trouble Marius, and it’s not just him giving me a hard time because Laelia retired.”

“No,” Marius leaned against the chair he stood next to with a tired smile on his own lips. “He’s actually getting worse as he grows up. If it makes you feel better, I think he’s out to make my life difficult since Laelia mustered out first. You’re just catching the side effects.”

Jason ignored the teasing, “Praetors, I’d like to introduce you to Nico Di Angelo, son of Pluto.”

“Hades,” Nico muttered.

“Nico, this is Praetor Marius Silva, son of Ceres, and Praetor Alexis Dunn, child of Pales, leaders of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata.”

Nico inclined his head, but couldn’t think of anything to say. He waited as the two Praetors stared him down, weighing and measuring his worth.  _He already knew the answer, even if Jason said he didn’t accept it. There was no place for a child of the Underworld, regardless of if he was Greek or Roman._

It was Marius who broke the silence. His voice was almost as gentle as Jason’s, and curious rather than accusatory, “Are you really a Greek demigod?”

“Don’t lie.” Alexis’s voice cut in quickly before he could reply. “Aurum and Argentum don’t respond kindly to liars.”

Nico shivered as he stood rooted to the floor. He felt the shadows around him grow heavier, and heard the marble creak ominously beneath his feet. “I am a son of Hades.”

The Praetors exchanged a look.

“The records said,” Marius began.

“The records also said they no longer existed, Marius.” Alexis crossed her arms, and looked Nico up and down again.

_Nico fought the urge to curl in on himself and run away. Jason was right next to him. He shouldn’t._

Alexis rubbed her chin thoughtfully, “Are you a member of a Greek Demigod camp?”

“No.” Nico bit his lip at the unintended venom in his voice.

“Well then.” Marius raised an eyebrow at the dogs then looked back to Nico. He gestured the dogs to move closer and they left the Praetors’ side to circle around the Greek demigod like hunting falcons. “Why did you meet up with Jason?”

“It was a coincidence. I didn’t think there were any other demigods in the area.” The dogs sat on either side of Nico, heads tilted as if listening to him. Nico quickly glanced at Jason who was watching, his shoulders seemed to relax when the dogs sat instead of prowling in a circle.

“And you came to Camp Jupiter because?”

“I insisted,” Jason cut in defensively.

“We’re not asking you, Centurion.” Marius scolded. “Why did you come to Camp Jupiter, Nico?”

Nico shivered involuntarily from nerves. The gold dog, Aurum, whimpered, leaning it’s head into his hip as if it were trying to comfort him.  _That couldn’t be though. Animals hated him._  “I don’t know.”

“No one’s going to hurt you,” Alexis said. “Try to reason through it.”

“Jason and Gina were under attack, and I thought i could help.”  _I didn’t want to be like other demigods who left people to die just because it was easier_ , was the part he didn’t say aloud. Nico spoke slowly, and the golden dog leaned further into him, forcing his hand to rest on it’s head. It was almost as if it was responding to his stress. The dog wasn’t a living creature, he could tell that much, but it was different from the few Automatons he’d seen. “Afterwards, I thought I’d just travel with them to the state line. I don’t know. It just, it seemed like it was okay at the time to keep going, and then we were attacked by Talos on the train, and...”

He was rambling, and trying not to let his emotions overwhelm him.  _He’d gotten attached to Jason. He knew it. It was repulsive. They were going to figure it out. Then Jason was going to figure it out, and the Roman demigods wouldn’t have to kill him. He’d die when all the kindness in Jason’s face turned to disgust once he realized what Nico was._

“And Jason, being Jason,” Marius took over when Nico tapered off. “Wasn’t about to leave a young demigod alone to the mercy of bay area monsters when you got off the train. We raised him better than that. You couldn’t have gotten away from him if you’d tried.”

Nico’s hands moved over the golden dog’s head, rubbing it’s muzzle and scratching behind it’s ears. The dog seemed to enjoy it, and it eased Nico’s nerves to have something to do with his hands.

Alexis snorted. “Seems accurate enough. So we’ve got a Greek demigod with no camp to return to who’s seen the way into New Rome. What do we do with him?”

“I want to stand for him,” Jason announced.

Marius sunk into his chair. “You can’t.”

“But!”

Marius put a hand up to stop Jason’s protest, ”I can check the records, but I’m pretty sure no child of Pluto has ever been a Legionnaire. It’d be unfair to have someone with power over death in an army. Even if they had, only Romans who’ve trained with Lupa can join the Legion. Nico isn’t Roman, so Lupa won’t train him. Lupa won’t train him, so he can’t join the Legion.”

“We could make an ex--”

“Have you asked if he even wants to join the Legion?” Alexis interrupted with her usual practicality.

“I--”

“I don’t want to join the Legion.” Nico spoke without looking up from the dog. “I don’t belong here.”

Jason made a pained noise in his throat, and Nico became even more determined to not look up.

“I already told you that Jason. I don’t belong anywhere.” The silver dog’s chest rumbled in response to the last sentence, but it didn’t move from where it sat next to him.

“Well, you have seen how to get to New Rome. We can’t just let you leave either.” Alexis spoke smoothly. “We’ll have to consult the Augur when he returns to the city. We’ll see what the gods have to say about Di Angelo. Until otherwise noted, he’s your responsibility, Centurion Grace. See that he remains within the boundaries of New Rome and doesn’t cause any trouble. Got it?”

“Yes, Praetor.”

Nico looked up in time to see a brilliant smile on Jason’s face in response to the order.  _He was never going to understand why Jason cared so much, or why he wanted Nico around. People just didn’t want him around. His own sister had gotten away from him as soon as the opportunity presented itself._

“Di Angelo, understand that you are a guest of the Legion,” Alexis continued. “However, if you try to leave without permission, I’ll have to assume you’re an enemy spy and treat you as one. Am I clear?”

“Yes.” Nico straightened, and removed his hands from Aurum. The dog whimpered in complaint at the break in attention.

“Good. Dismissed.”

Jason gestured and Nico started to follow him out of the principia when Marius spoke up again. “Jason, be sure to sit at my table at the mess hall tonight. I want to hear more about your journey.”

Jason nodded over his shoulder.

“You too, Nico Di Angelo.”

Nico felt like a deer in headlights as he stared back at the Praetor. Jason put one arm around his shoulders and tugged him through the open doorway. “We’ll be there Marius!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alexis Dunn and Marius Silva are the two Praetors that held office prior to Reyna and Jason. Yes, they are original characters like Gina. Alexis is the newer Praetor of the two. Praetor Marius and ex-Praetor Laelia were originally created for flashbacks in my "HoO: Io Saturnalia" fic, so eventually you'll see more of them there.  
> Given book internal timelines, Reyna should have arrived at Camp Jupiter within a few months of when I have Nico arriving in this AU and we know Jason wasn't elevated to Praetor until the battle to topple Kronos' Throne.
> 
> Translations:  
> 1\. “Exspectata domus” (Latin) -- Welcome Home  
> 2\. “Gratias” (Latin) -- Thanks


	6. Bunkmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He’d survived a manticore as his first introduction to the demigod world. He’d traveled Daedalus’s Labyrinth to escape Camp Half-Blood the night he learned of his powers and his sister’s death. Had a face to face talk with the Lord of the Underworld and walked away with a Stygian Iron sword. He’d fought numerous monsters the likes of Talos. He’d traveled the mortal world alone for months. -- Centurion Jason Grace was going to be the death of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested, "sharing a cot". -- Completely shameless plot contrivance.

Jason stumbled as he pulled the second shoe off, sitting heavily on the edge of the bed. He ran a hand through his his blonde hair and smiled up at Nico, who stood just inside the closed barracks door.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. It’s been a long day.”

Nico felt his mouth go dry and swallowed before speaking. “Yeah. Just let me know where I should go...”

“What do you mean go?”

_He’d survived a manticore as his first introduction to the demigod world. He’d traveled Daedalus’s Labyrinth to escape Camp Half-Blood the night he learned of his powers and his sister’s death. Had a face to face talk with the Lord of the Underworld and walked away with a Stygian Iron sword. He’d fought numerous monsters the likes of Talos. He’d traveled the mortal world alone for months. --_ _Centurion Jason Grace was going to be the death of him._

“I don’t really know the Legion camp, so I’m not sure where I’m supposed to,” Nico gestured helplessly. “I don’t want to cause you any more trouble.”

“Oh, right.”  Jason nudged his shoes under the edge of the bunk. “Right. Sorry. I should have explained earlier.”

Nico waited in silence for an explanation.

“The Legion Insula, the guest apartments, are inside the city proper, but until Octavian returns to perform an augury, the Praetors said you can’t enter the city limits.” Jason’s eyes were concerned, the blue too bright and clear.  Nico instinctively looked away from him. “It’s not that they think badly of you, it’s to make everyone else feel more comfortable since they haven’t had the chance to meet you yet.”

Jason was silent for a long minute, and Nico could feel that he was upset about that decision. The tension was palpable. Nico forced himself to meet Jason’s eyes again. “It’s not your fault. It makes sense. Really.”

Jason wrung his hands as he met Nico’s eyes. “Since I’m responsible for you, that means you stay with my cohort, and because I’m Centurion, I have a private barrack room. I figured you’d be more comfortable staying with me than in one of the group barracks.”

_Well that was true. Nico had slowly adjusted to be able to actually sleep near Gina and Jason at night during their journey, but that had mostly been outside on the ground, or on benches in abandoned areas or public transit. This was a proper room. There was only one bed in here!_

“Was I wrong?”

_Oh Tartarus. How did a demigod older than him manage to look like a kicked puppy?_

“No. You’re right.” Nico looked around the room nervously. “I’ll set up a sleeping bag in that corner, if that’s okay?”

Jason had pushed the late Phil’s sleeping bag on him his second night travelling with them, and Nico had been certain it would be the most useful thing he’d been given since the sword his father had provided. The first night not trying to huddle into the oversized aviator’s jacket for warmth had been a blessing he’d forgotten what it was like to have.

“Yeah. That’s fine,” Jason’s voice sounded uncertain, though Nico couldn’t understand why. “You’re sure you’ll be okay on the floor?”

“Where do you think I’ve been sleeping?” Nico regretted it the moment the words were out of his mouth. The stricken look on Jason’s face made him feel guilty for even mentioning it.

“Sorry.” Jason muttered. “You could take the bed you know. I’m older. I should--”

“It’s fine, Jason. I’m used to this. Really, a bed would be weird at this point.” Nico moved slowly, unpacking the sleeping bag and arranging his aviator’s jacket into something resembling a pillow to make a sleeping spot while Jason changed clothes behind him.  _Definitely not looking at that. Nope. His heart and brain were already doomed enough, thank you._

A small collection of pillows flopped down around him, and suddenly Jason was in his personal space, arranging a group of pillows that had come from a couch or something similar into a makeshift mattress and pulling the sleeping bag on top of them.

“Where did this come from?”

“The principia. No one will notice if a few cushions are missing from the upstairs meeting room for a couple of nights.” Jason smiled at him, his face only inches away. “I’ll come up with a better solution if Octavian isn’t back soon.”

“Thanks,” Nico felt his cheeks heating up. “You planned for this?”

“I’m a Centurion. Always have a backup plan.”

“’Backup’?”  _Oh gods. What had been the first plan if this was the backup plan?_

Jason ruffled his hair. “Just wake me if you need anything.”

* * *

 

Nico woke slowly to more warmth than he remembered experiencing since his last night in the Hermes cabin, sharing space with more than a dozen other demigods. He curled into that unfamiliar warmth, relishing in the comforting feel of it.

His heat source shifted, the slow rise and fall of someone else’s breathing, and Nico was suddenly very awake. He shot up. He was still on his pallet in the corner, but the mattress from Jason’s bed had been dragged over to join him. Multiple blankets had been draped over both of them, and Jason lay on his side, one arm tucked under his head, back to Nico.

The extra blankets slipped down as Nico stared in shock at his bedmate.  _Oh gods no. Bad train of thought._  He shivered the moment the outside air hit his skin. He instinctively ducked back under the blankets, diving for the haven of warmth. The back in front of him shifted, curling away from the cold, and the pattern of breathing changed.

“You okay?” Jason’s voice was slightly slurred with sleep. “It’s still early.”

“What are you doing down here?” Nico was trying not to panic.  _It wasn’t working.  
_

“Sudden cold front last night. It’ll take half the day to get the boiler heated up and the steam pipes to the buildings running.” Jason turned over, and his sleepy blue eyes were looking directly into Nico’s. “It was freezing, and your teeth were chattering in your sleep. This seemed like the practical solution.”

_Jason Grace was definitely going to be the death of him._

“Oh,” Was the only response Nico managed.

“Still another two hours to dawn at least. I’m gonna try to catch some more Zs.” Jason yawned. “You okay?”

_He **had** to stop asking that._

“Yeah. I’m okay.” Nico shrank further into the sleeping bag, the only thing really separating himself and Jason at the moment. Jason’s eyes drifted closed again, and the Centurion’s breathing leveled out again as he fell back asleep.

_Hades, I’m so doomed._


	7. Dust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're going to see a lot more jumping around the timeline from here on in. This was written as snippets of a larger story concept, not every scene and development will be explicitly played out.

Jason lay down in the grass next to Nico and stretched. The younger demigod, who had been carefully watching the cohort run it’s drills from up here looked down at him in silence, dark eyes attentive. His hands still ran over Aurum’s head, the normally intimidating automaton guard behaving like a spoiled pet.

_He was used to two kinds of reactions from his fellow demigods. From ones who weren’t his friends at any rate. Constant talking, as if they could hit along the right word combination eventually to get in his inner circle, like it was some sort of reward for solving a puzzle rather than a matter of work from both sides to become friends, or wide eyed staring in fear or awe. Neither of which made him feel like he was being treated like a fellow human being. Nico just watched him as if he wasn’t certain what to do. He talked very little, and when he did it seemed to be out of genuine interest or because he had something worthwhile to add. When he wasn’t talking as though he wasn’t worth anyone’s time, which just made Jason... angry. Something had happened to make Nico think he wasn’t worth anything, and that upset him. Being the son of Jupiter had put Jason on an untouchable pedestal most of his life. Apparently, being a son of Hades had meant no one had ever given Nico a chance. They might be the opposite ends of the spectrum, but it seemed as though they were equally inhuman in most people’s eyes. They were both people, not gods, and certainly not monsters._

Aurum perked up as if he’d heard something, and took off towards the Principia. Probably summoned by the Praetors. Nico and Jason watched the dog disappear across the fields before Nico turned to look at the people still sparring on the practice field, then back to Jason again.

“That looked tough.”

“You’re welcome to try it out,” Jason’s smile wavered. “If you want to.”

“No thanks.” _Was that a smile at the corner of his lips?_

“So do you normally just call up any old skeleton to practice with, or can you get like, specific experts?”

“Umm,” Nico looked embarrassed. “Experts most of the time. It doesn’t do any good to have an amateur teaching you.”

“’Most of the time’?”

“Occasionally they’re just average. It’s good practice, but I’m not really learning anything.”

“Makes sense. Who’s been your favor--”

There was a scratchy sounding mew from somewhere in the grass to Jason’s right, and he froze in place, mouth snapping shut and breath becoming shallow.

Nico’s head tilted towards the source of the noise, but he didn’t do anything else.

The grey tabby came trotting out of the grass to butt its head against one of Jason’s hands. Jason crooked his fingers and the cat leant into the careful skritches, a rumbling purr rewarding his prior months of effort.

“Who’s this?” Nico’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper, and he seemed to have taken the cue from Jason to stay as still as possible.

“Dust.” The cat curled in closer to him in reaction to its name, green gold eyes peering over the expanse of Jason’s chest to regard Nico. “He’s kind of the local stray around the fifth cohort barracks.”

“Your other stray,” Nico whispered as he watched the small cat climb over Jason’s hand and forearm trying to get a better look at Nico.

Jason made a face, “Please ignore Dakota.”

_Nico definitely smiled in response to that. Okay, it was more of a smirk, but Jason was counting it._

“Dust isn’t mine. He’s kind of the entire cohort’s cat.”

“Who only lets you touch him,” Nico’s voice was low and teasing. “Dakota wasn’t kidding. You really do collect strays.”

Jason really wished Dust hadn’t decided now was the time to use Jason to climb on. He wasn’t going to undo months of work by moving now, but he really wanted to sit up and give his full attention to Nico. _Focus on him. On encouraging him to talk more._ “Everyone else isn’t being patient enough. Dust is just nervous. You have to move slowly with him, earn his trust.”

Nico narrowed his eyes at Jason, the unspoken ‘ _I am not a cat_ ’ clearly written on his face.

“Just put your hand out and let him come to you first,” Jason coaxed.

Nico did as he was told, thin arm stretched into to space over Jason’s chest, dark eyes focused on the small cat.

Jason watched the Greek demigod’s face closely. There was nervousness there, determination, and something else. _He really wanted to know more about Nico._

Dust padded onto Jason’s chest, and he felt more than saw the cat delicately sniffing Nico’s fingertips. Nico’s eyes widened in cautious expectation, and Jason held his breath at the hope in Nico’s eyes. He prayed that Dust would be sweet to the newcomer.

_He wanted to know where Nico had been before. What it had been like to live a life outside a demigod camp. He wanted Nico to never feel he had to be on his own again. He wanted another child of the big three to be around, to be his friend, to stay..._

Claws extended into his chest and Nico hissed a sharp intake of breath, his eyes squeezing shut, but he stayed still. There was a twisting motion and Dust bounded away into the grass. Jason felt the extended claws rip sharp little lines of pain across his skin through the shirt. Only after the cat was gone did Nico move, recoiling away from Jason and cradling his hand against his chest. Nico didn’t cry out, but pain was etched into his expression.

“Let me see!” Jason shot up into a sitting position, both hands clamping around Nico’s thin wrists and pulling his injured hand into the open so he could assess the damage.

Deep puncture wounds from the four canines had bitten into the meat of Nico’s palm, just below his thumb. Blood oozed from the wounds on either side of his hand.

“Let’s get you to the infirmary. Put some ambrosia on that.”

“I don’t think your cat likes me.” Nico said, sardonic humor laced with suppressed pain.

“I’m sorry,” Jason looked up from the injury to Nico’s eyes and released the wrist of the uninjured hand. He brushed some of the curling bangs out of Nico’s face so he could see his eyes clearly. “I didn’t think Dust would do that. I’m so sorry.”

“Should’ve known better,” Nico muttered. “Animals hate me.”

“Aurum adores you.”

“Living animals.”

Jason bumped his forehead against Nico’s, “Dust is skittish around everyone. He was hurt by people, so it’s hard to get his trust. It is not something wrong with you.”

“It’s something wrong with the stray.”

 _Nico didn’t have to spell it out for him._  “It’s not wrong. It’s just him reacting to his past experiences. It means we have to be forgiving and considerate with him. He’s worth the effort.”

“If you say so.”

“I know so.” Jason let a slow breath out. “So, you think you can walk to the infirmary, or should I carry you?”

Nico jerked backwards, eyes momentarily panicked. “I can walk!”


	8. Bathhouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and Nico visit a Roman Bathhouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not great at writing young teens, so sorry if the mentality reads skewing older. I'm used to aging characters up to at least college-age. It's a weakness in my storytelling ability. Also, Cato is just teasing, not serious.

Jason was leaning against the frame of the doorway when Nico looked up. “I think I’m gonna miss my roommate.”

Nico shook his head and blushed.  _Unbelievable._  “You’re going to like having your barrack back to yourself.”

Aurum, who had taken to hanging around Nico when the Praetors didn’t need him, wandered around the suite, sniffing under the furniture and behind curtains.

Jason frowned and stepped into the apartment, “I’m serious, Nico. I’m glad the augury was favorable, and Pluto...”

“Pluto showing up and declaring me his official ambassador to New Rome kind of nixed all of Octavian’s complaints, and it means the Legion is permanently assigning one of the Insula apartments for my personal use.”

“Yeah,” Jason ran a hand through his corn silk colored hair in what Nico had come to recognize as a nervous gesture.

Nico left his attempts to arrange the provided sheets on the bed.  _Gods, he had his own bed now._ He moved over to stand in front of Jason, looking up into his face with a questioning expression.

Jason’s eyebrows furrowed together and he stared back at Nico, as if he could communicate whatever he was thinking without words.

“I’m not psychic, Jason. What is it?”

“Nothing,” Jason shook his head. “Listen, since you’re allowed inside the city limits now, there’s something you have to try out.”

Nico blinked at the change in subject.  _It was definitely a change in subject, even if Jason wouldn’t admit to it. Fine._ “Try what?”

Jason gave him that brilliant smile, “You can’t come to a Roman city without experiencing a Roman Bathhouse.”

Nico felt the blood drain from his face. “I don’t think--”

“If we go now, there will hardly be anyone there, and if you really feel uncomfortable, we can leave at any time.” Jason spread his hands, “But the bathhouse is really a relaxing experience, and I’d like for you to give it a chance.”

_It really wasn’t fair. He never seemed to be able to tell Jason no. Something about those eyes._

“Fine. Lead the way.”

“Really?”

“Do you really want to keep asking?”

_Gods. That smile was criminal._

* * *

Jason was right. The bathhouse was nearly abandoned when they came through. After leaving their clothes behind in the changing room, Nico found himself thanking the gods for the bathing suit-like clothing that was apparently a standard fixture of the modern Roman bath. Not being completely naked with Jason -- with other men was definitely a good thing. 

They had started in a room called the Frigidarium. There had been a large cold pool which they had jumped into and crossed before entering the next room, where a more regular temperature bath had been provided. Jason had laughed at the cold and pulled Nico along to the next room, assuring him that “ _Starting with the cold opened the pores and the senses, and prepped him to appreciate the rest of the experience._ ” Nico glared at him from under damp bangs and through chattering teeth, trying to decide if the son of Jupiter might actually be insane.  _Maybe all Romans were._

The next room, the Tepidarium, had a regular temperature warm bath, which Jason had rushed him into. Nico had relaxed once immersed in the warm water, his shivering subsiding quickly. Jason eased into the water not far from him, and let out a contented sigh.

“I know the Frigidarium’s a bit rough, but it makes this part feel amazing instead of just average.” Jason turned towards him, wet golden hair sticking to his forehead, and blue eyes sparkling. “I’ve tried skipping that first room, and it just isn’t the same.”

Nico found himself remembering waking up that first night in the Fifth Cohort barracks.  _Jason is going to be the death of me._

“I’ll have to take your word for that.”

Jason chuckled and leaned back on the edge of the bath. “Let me know when you’re feeling comfortable and we’ll move to the next room.”

“Next room?”

“The hot bath. We’ll have a long soak there, and then do the cool down baths. The hot bath does wonders for relaxing your muscles.”

“This seems plenty relaxing.”

“You’ll see.”

After several minutes, Jason nudged his shoulder. “Come on. You’re going to love this.”

Nico groaned, but got up to follow him. Dealing with the Augur and then his father had exhausted him more than he wanted to admit, and moving from the warm bath seemed like a chore.

* * *

Nico found himself watching the muscles of Jason’s back shift in a daze as he lowered himself into the hot bath of the Caldarium. Once in, Jason turned in the water, folding his arms over the edge of the bath to gaze back at Nico.

“Get in before you cool off too much.” Steam seemed to frame his face, and sweat and water rolled over his skin, accentuating the muscles that Nico definitely did not have. Jason’s smile only seemed to widen as Nico stood there, utterly distracted. “Don’t make me come out and get you.”

Nico shook his head at that, and walked over himself, slipping into the water and onto a spot on one of the underwater tiled benches a few feet from Jason. Jason turned back in his seat, and relaxed, slipping further into the hot water with a sigh. The back of his head came to rest on the padded edge of the pool, and he closed his eyes.

Nico found himself watching how Jason’s muscles shifted and unknotted in the heat. When he realized he was watching the rise and fall of Jason’s chest as he slowly breathed in and out, Nico jerked in place and pointedly looked away. The sudden motion created a splash across the surface of the water, and he heard Jason sit up and come to attention in response.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine!” Nico hoped his blush wasn’t obvious, or at least looked like it might be the fault of the heat. “I just, umm...“

There was a laugh on the far side of the pool and Nico ducked his head, shifting to sit lower in the water. He’d forgotten they wouldn’t be entirely alone in here. Steam shifted, and he saw two men, older than either Jason or himself sitting on the far side of the hot bathing pool. Their hair was in a legion standard cut, although Nico didn’t recognize them. They were kissing. The shorter had pulled the taller man down to his level from a standing position away from the benches.

Jason cleared his throat loudly, clearly trying to politely alert the men that they weren’t alone in the baths.

 _Oh Tartarus._ The last thing Nico needed was a definite reminder that people like him were not approved of by others. _By Jason. Not that I feel that way about Jason. Percy is bad enough. I just don’t want Jason to think less of me. I like having Jason care about me, even if I don’t understand why he does._

He had to be red as a tomato now, and he tried to shift lower in the water. 

Jason rolled his eyes, and splashed water ineffectively in the general direction of the men. “Shouldn’t you be studying, Cato?”

The taller man looked over, and laughed. “I’ve got the day off university, and I’m not in the Legion anymore for you to order around Centurion.”

“Good riddance,” Jason laughed. “You were always goofing off anyways.”

Cato moved to sit down, wrapping an arm around the shorter man as he did so, “Who’s the newbie, Grace?”

“You haven’t heard?”

There was a long silence across the bath, “You’re kidding! That’s him? Hey, did Pluto really appear on Temple Hill this morning?”

Jason groaned, “Sorry Nico. Cato’s a good guy, really. Just not the best Legionnaire. He mustered out last year to attend university in the city.”

“Hey, I’m coming over.” Cato swam across the bath as his partner climbed out and disappeared through a doorway. Cato came to stand in the water a few feet away, staring at Nico. “Oh, he’s adorable.”

Nico curled in on himself.  _Oh gods. Everything is going to be ruined. Jason will never spend time with me again. How did this guy know?_

“Cato,” Jason scolded.

“What?” He smiled broadly. “I’m taken, not blind.”

“Stop making the Ambassador nervous.” Jason splashed water at him. “Get out of here you jerk.”

“Fine, fine.” Cato winked and started to climb out of the bath on the far side of Jason. “Hey Ambassador,” Nico refused to make eye contact. “If you get tired of Saving Grace here when you’re older, you can give me a call.”

“Out!” Jason splashed water at Cato, who retreated through the door, laughing. “Sorry, Cato means well, he’s just a little... lacking in boundaries.”

“It’s fine.”

He heard very real concern enter Jason’s voice. “Nico, do you…”

_Don’t say it! Please don’t say it!_

He heard Jason swallow behind him. “We’re Roman, it’s not exactly unusual for men to…”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Right. Sorry.” He heard Jason sink down into the water again.

Nico wanted to hit his head against the tiles.  _I’ve ruined everything. Jason is never going to want to be around me again._

* * *

He lost count of time when Jason decided he was ready to head out. They went into another Tepidarium to cool down gradually from the hot bath. There were aches and knots soothed out of his muscles now that Nico hadn’t even realized he was carrying around. Too bad he couldn’t say the same for his mind.  _This had been a mistake. It wasn’t worth sabotaging Jason’s good will for some temporary physical comfort._

They entered a new room, and Nico froze in the doorway. It was mostly empty, but there were a couple of men laying across padded tables. Other people in the bathhouse uniform were giving them massages, rubbing oils into their skin. The smell of jasmine, sandalwood, and vanilla permeated the air.

Jason came back from where he’d disappeared to further into the room, handing Nico a fluffy towel. He looked uneasy, and Nico’s heart sunk further.

“You don’t have to do this part if you don’t want to, but...”

“I’ll do it.” _If everything was ruined anyways, I’ll take the extra few minutes before we part ways. It can’t get worse, right?_

They ended up on side by side tables, and the scented oils felt good on his roughened and scarred skin. The masseurs occasionally explained what they were doing, but overall, silence prevailed.

After a while, Nico spoke up, “What was it you wanted to say earlier?”

“Earlier?”

“Back at the Insula you were going to say something else.” Nico took a deep breath before he turned his head to look at Jason, “Before you suggested this.”

“Oh.”

_I shouldn’t have said anything. Whatever it had been, it was invalid now that Jason knows about me. Knows how disgusting I am._

“I wanted to say, um,” Jason propped himself up on his elbows and waved both masseurs off. “I know with the augury and everything that happened this morning, you’re no longer obligated to stay around New Rome. You probably even have obligations to your father now with the entire Ambassador thing...”

_He’s going to ask me to leave. Never come back._

“I wanted to say, I know you don’t want to join the Legion and the culture in New Rome makes you uncomfortable sometimes, but I really,” Jason took a deep breath and paused for a long moment before finishing the thought. “I really hope you don’t leave.”

“You don’t want me to leave?”

Jason tried to turn and sit up so fast he nearly fell off the table, “Definitely not! I was worried that you were going to leave once the Legion edict wasn’t keeping you here anymore.”

Nico started laughing. He let his head drop down on his crossed arms and buried his face against the padded table.  _Jason doesn’t want me to leave. He had been upset because he thought I was going bolt to as soon as the opportunity arose._

“Nico?”

“I’m not going anywhere Jason, not yet.”

“You’ll tell me if you decide you’re leaving?”

“Sure.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh thank Jupiter.” There was a silence. “It’s not that funny, Nico. I was really worried.”

 


	9. Graveyard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico summons Minos for advice, but in this AU, someone cares enough to notice when Nico disappears at night.

Jason couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He shoved his way past the gathered spirits, determined to reach Nico before he did something that couldn’t be undone.

“I’m talking about justice,” The ghost said. “Vengeance.”

“Those are not the same thing.” 

The ghost laughed dryly. “You will learn differently as you get older.”

“Who are you?” Jason stepped through the crowd of spirits without hesitation.

Nico looked up at him, eyebrows raised in an unspoken question.

Jason ignored the silent protest to his intrusion, pointing his golden sword at the spirit standing beside Nico. “I asked who you are, ghost.”

“I am Minos, King of Crete.” The spirit of a bearded man with white robes and a golden circlet looked defiantly at Jason. “I’m here to help Nico.”

“Somehow, I have trouble buying that,” Jason said acidly. “Step away from him.”

“Jason, I don’t--”

Several ghosts surged towards the oddly brown fountain ( _Were those french fries floating in it?_ ), and Nico had to turn and start chanting in Greek to keep them away from it.

“You are hindering Nico. You will distract him. Try to persuade him to give up on his goal. I would make him a lord!”

“Enough, Minos,” Nico commanded.

The ghost sneered. “Master, this boy is your enemy. You must not listen to him! Let me protect you. I can turn his mind to madness. He will never bother you again.”

“You don’t touch him!” Nico’s voice caused the ground to rumble. The contents of the fountain started to drain away, and the other ghosts dispersed in fear.

Jason’s heart skipped at the immediate defensive response from Nico. He knew they were friends, but he still wasn’t sure if Nico was as attached to him as he was to the younger demigod at times. If he trusted him. He still feared Nico leaving Camp Jupiter for good one day. He’d tracked Nico tonight because he’d noticed the boy was losing the weight he’d gained since coming to live in New Rome and seemed listless as though he hadn’t been sleeping. When he’d found the Insula apartment empty when he came to visit after tonight’s War Games to ask about it, he’d decided he needed to find Nico immediately.

“Master, you are making a mistake. You cannot trust this demigod. This Roman...”

Nico clenched his fists and the ground rolled beneath their feet again. “Be gone, Minos!”

The ghost’s form wavered, and dissolved. Jason dropped his sword and surged forward, catching Nico by the shoulders as his knees buckled. “What was that?!”

“Nothing for you to worry about Jason.” 

Jason helped Nico move to sit on the ground. _That was the last thing that was going to be happening. Whatever he’d been doing had drained him immensely. That explained Nico’s declining health. This couldn’t keep going._

“Like Hades,” Jason spat. “‘A soul for a soul’? You’ve ‘offered’? What part of that shouldn’t worry me?”

“You heard that?”

“Nico.” Jason drew his name out into double its normal length.

“I just want to bring my sister back. Minos said it was possible.”

_Nico had a sister? A sister who’s dead._

“At the cost of your soul?” 

_Nico is trying to trade his life for his sister._

“I don’t know!”

_What if I hadn’t-- What if I hadn’t come to talk tonight? What if I hadn’t followed his trail? What if I hadn’t interrupted?_

“Nico, these kind of things, they’re never straight-forward. She might not come back the same. It might not even be her. Even if it is, what good is bringing your sister back if it means losing you?”

“That’s a trade I’m willing to make.” Nico looked at the ground as he spoke. “Bianca’s better than me in every way. Even father says so.”

“It’s not a trade  ** _I’m_**  willing to make!” Jason vehemently wished Nico would meet his eyes, see how much he meant that. He didn’t know what he’d do if Nico met that look and still denied he was important enough to not throw his life away. “And I bet your sister would feel the same way.”

“You never met Bianca,” Nico’s voice was accusatory.

“No, I didn’t, but I know you.” Jason dropped his hands from Nico’s shoulders, and sat in front of him, clenching his hands on his own knees to prevent himself from pulling Nico into a hug. “If she’s half as good as you are, and she must have been if you love her this much, she wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

“Minos said...”

“I heard what Minos said, and hurting someone else only to get what you want isn’t like you.”

Nico’s body shook slightly, and his hands clenched and unclenched on his pants legs. “I just want her back.”

“I’m so sorry Nico.” Jason scooted closer to Nico, but didn’t try to initiate contact. “Would you tell me about her?”

Nico swallowed hard, and another tremor shook his body. “Why?”

“Because she means so much to you. I want to know about someone you love this much.”

Nico looked up at him, and Jason was a little proud that Nico was managing not to cry even though he was clearly so upset. Although, he also wished that Nico felt safe enough to cry when it was just the two of them like this.

“I want to know about the parts of your life I missed.”

“Okay.”

Jason felt a weight lift from his chest, “Okay?”

“Yeah.”


	10. Oh No, He's Hot

The skeleton danced backwards from Jason’s blade, and he heard Nico’s laugh behind him.

“This is harder than you make it look!”

“Maybe you’re just slow, Centurion!”

He turned to see Nico spin away from a trio of skeletons, decapitating the one at the end of the line up with a smooth swing of his arm. He smiled at Jason as the skeleton fell to a pile of inanimate bones.

Jason turned back to his opponents, and transformed his sword to a pilum. He swung the longer weapon with as much force as he could muster, shattering the legs out from under two skeletons at once.

The watching fifth cohort cheered, his friend Dakota being the loudest. His fellow Centurion, Gwendolyn, whistled loudly.

“Show off,” He heard Nico mock behind him as he moved to stand back to back.

_It was a perfect day._

* * *

Jason threw himself on his favorite couch in one of the upper rooms of the Principia, making a loud groan of complaint as he did so.

“If you just did that with dirt all over your clothes again, you’re the one who’s going to be cleaning that couch this time.”

“I’ve been abusing this couch for almost a decade. No one should care anymore.” He groused, face down in pillows.

“Technically, it’s my couch.” Marius still hadn’t bothered looking up from the stack of papers he was perusing. “This is **_my_** Praetor’s office, Centurion, no matter how many naps you’ve taken up here.”

“I’m going to destroy this couch when I make Praetor.”

“Sure you will.”

“I’m doomed.” He whined loudly into the couch.

“You are not the voice of my couch, Jason.”

“No,” Jason turned his head to regard the Praetor. “I, Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, Centurion of the 5th Cohort, am doomed.”

Marius put down the paperwork and folded his arms on the desk. “Can’t possibly be that bad. If there had been a major augury, I’d have Octavian in my face right now.”

“Not that kind of doomed,” Jason rolled his face back into the pillows.

“Okay,” Marius got up from the desk and came around to sit next to Jason on the couch. “What’s eating you, kiddo?”

“I’m in love.”

“Last time I checked, that’s a good thing.” Marius ruffled his hair and chuckled. “It’s about time, honestly.”

“Not in this case. It ruins everything.”

“Oh Jay, even if they don’t feel the same, there’s no one in New Rome who wouldn’t be flattered to have stolen your heart.”

“Except Nico.”

Marius let out a sharp exhale, barely not a laugh. “I’m definitely failing to see how you’re doomed then. You two have been close as two coats of paint since you brought him to camp insisting we let you keep him.”

“One problem,” Jason turned just enough to look up at Marius with one eye. “Nico thinks two men in being a romantic relationship is wrong.”

Marius’s face fell. “Are you sure?”

“We ran into Cato at the bathhouse a while back.” He rolled over to look up at Marius directly. “You didn’t see how Nico reacted.”

“You sure that wasn’t just because it was Cato? You know he’s a big flirt even when he doesn’t mean anything by it. He makes a lot of people uncomfortable, regardless of orientation.”

“He was uncomfortable even before Cato started talking to us.” Jason pushed himself up onto his elbows. “Why did I have to fall for him? I’m an idiot. Things were fine just being friends.”

“Oh, Jaybird,” Marius pulled him up into a hug.  “I’m so sorry kiddo.”

“I’m doomed. I don’t know how long I can keep it from him.”

“Do you want me to start scheduling things so you don’t see him as often?”

“No!” Jason pulled away, blue eyes panicked. “I… I’ll just deal with it when the time comes.”

“Okay Jaybird. You know I’m there for you whenever you need me. Laelia and Dakota too. You just say the word if you change your mind.”

* * *

Jason pulled off his shirt, and chugged a water bottle. It was nearing unbearably hot out, but he had too much pent up energy to rest inside as most of the ( _more intelligent_ ) Legionnaires were doing at the moment.

“Come on and beat that Graecus, Jason!” Dakota hollered as he took a seat on one of the empty benches.  “Show him what a Roman’s made of!”

_Yup. Just us idiots out here._

“If we can’t beat him together, how am I supposed to do it with you sitting on the bench?”

“I have the utmost faith in my Centurion,” Dakota grinned, downing a bottle filled with kool-aid.

“Abandoned by my own Legionnaires to face an undead army,” Jason complained with a smile. “Whatever shall I do?”

Nico walked over next to him, tugging his lengthening hair into a short ponytail high on the back of his head. Jason gulped involuntarily, watching the muscles in Nico’s neck work as he leaned down and claimed his own water bottle from the shadow of the bench.

“Five is hardly an army,” He smiled darkly, and Jason felt his heart skip a couple of beats. “But if Dakota’s taking a break, I wouldn’t mind some one-on-one sparring. It’s been a while.”

_Tartarus. Nico Di Angelo is going to be the death of me._

“Uh, yeah. Sure.” Jason rubbed a hand down his face, trying to focus his brain appropriately. “You’re not overheating with all that black?”

Nico took a long drink of water before answering, eyes raking up and down Jason’s body, “I haven’t got muscles like yours Jason, I’ll keep my shirt on, thanks.”

_Oh. OH! I am an idiot._

“I didn’t mean it that way!” Jason blushed. “I just…”

“He’s just worried about you collapsing from heatstroke Di Angelo,” Dakota added, waving a hand. “I always tell him he cuts you too much slack. You’d make a damned impressive Legionnaire if you were Roman.”

Nico finally looked away from Jason, who let out a sigh of relief. It was short lived when he saw that dark grin turned on Dakota. _Is that a twinge of jealousy? It’s not like Dakota has any more of a chance with Nico than you do. Idiot. The heat really is getting to you, Grace._

“I’m not enough of a team player to follow orders, even if I were Roman, Dakota.”

“Shame.” Dakota turned to Jason, “Kick his ass, Jason.”


	11. MIA Ambassador

“He’s never gone this long without sending word,” Jason folded his arms across his chest as he stood in the Principia with all of the gathered Centurions and the two Praetors.

“I told you he’s a spy for the Graecus!” Octavian slammed a fist on the long wooden table. “We have to capture him before he tells them everything about New Rome!”

Jason gritted his teeth, practically growling out the words, “He’s been with New Rome for years; Nico isn’t a spy.”

“We’ve always known he isn’t Roman, to believe he wouldn’t betray--”

Jason’s fellow Fifth Cohort Centurion, Gwendolyn, interrupted Octavian’s rant,  “There’s no evidence of an organized Greek force for Di Angelo to betray New Rome to.”

“Rather, the way he came to camp and the fact that he’s spent most of his time when not directly serving Pluto in New Rome,”  Centurion Larry from the Second Cohort reasoned calmly. “Makes a strong argument that whatever Greek demigods are out there, are stand alone and scattered. He wouldn’t need the safety of New Rome if there were a Greek alternative.”

“Unless it were part of the ruse all along,” Octavian sneered. 

Jason turned to glare at Octavian, clenching and unclenching his fists with the attempt to restrain himself from punching his fellow Centurion.

“We’ve known Di Angelo for years,” Centurion Hank from the Third Cohort piped up. “I just can’t make myself concerned over his loyalties now.”

“Exactly,” Jason spread his arms to the Praetors. “If he’s missing like this, something must have gone wrong. He probably needs our help.”

“Outrageous!” Octavian spun on Jason. “I can’t believe you want to risk Roman demigods for the sake of that Graecus!”

“You weren’t arguing against searching for him two minutes ago,” Jason growled.

“To--!”

“Centurions,” Praetor Alexis interrupted sharply. “This behavior is unbecoming for Legion officers. Restrain yourselves.”

Jason stepped back, taking a deep breath as Gwendolyn placed a hand on his shoulder in support.

Octavian scowled, but shut his mouth for the moment.

“Unless someone can bring me actual evidence suggesting Di Angelo is some sort of spy,” Alexis continued, folding long pale fingers on the table. “His allegiances with regards to New Rome are not under question here.”

“Then Jason’s request to form a search party,” Gwendolyn prompted, eyes hopeful.

“Is denied,” Praetor Reyna leaned back in her chair as she spoke. “We’re not questioning Di Angelo’s intentions towards New Rome, but neither is he Roman. The purpose of the Legion is to preserve and protect Rome and it’s people. While Di Angelo has been made welcome here, he is not one of us”

Jason moved to speak, and Alexis held up a hand to cut him off, a motion clearly picked up from Marius.

“We will not risk Roman lives when it is not even certain that Di Angelo is in any sort of danger,” Alexis explained. “If he is still missing a week from now, you may bring up the proposal for consideration again.”

Octavian snorted as if in victory, and opened his mouth to speak.

Jason didn’t have to move, because Larry did. “Not a word, Octavian, or I’ll punch you myself.”

“What?”

“I’m not questioning the Praetors’ decision,” Larry nodded respectfully to Reyna and Alexis. “Di Angelo’s been a friend to the Legion, and if he’s still missing in a week, I’ll be right beside Jason asking for a search party. But I’ve sparred that guy myself. Just because he’s been gone a little longer than usual doesn’t make me think he’s in danger. Di Angelo can handle himself.”

“You give the Greek too much credit,” Octavian sneered.

“I haven’t seen you spar him one-on-one, Octavian.” Alexis shot the room a wolfish smile. “I believe you’re the only standing Legion officer who hasn’t.”

“He doesn’t have the skill to challenge me.”

“You didn’t seem to doubt him when you asked him to help First Cohort train for melee situations last month.” Larry looked down his nose at Octavian. “Seemed like you were grateful to have him and his skeletons around, up until they whipped First Cohort’s butt minutes after ranks broke.”

That prompted laughs around the room. Jason smiled.

When the laughter died down, Reyna spoke again, “I understand many of you are concerned about Di Angelo, but I urge you to be patient. I am hesitant to question the loyalty or skill of an Ambassador appointed to New Rome by Pluto himself.” She directed a pointed look at Octavian, “I encourage our Augur to watch the auguries for any changes in what have always been favorable results regarding _**Ambassador**_ Di Angelo. Please alert me if things change so that the Legion can mount an appropriate and reasonable response.”

“Now get back to your duties,” Alexis waved a hand towards the door. “We’ve spent enough time for today on debate.”

* * *

Nico dragged himself into a corner behind some boxes, the unfamiliar languages that drifted in from the street made his already jangling nerves worse. _Where am I? Gods. I really screwed up that last jump._

He glanced over to the writing on the cardboard box he was hiding behind.  _Definitely some sort of East Asian. Japanese? Korean? Chinese? There were other languages. If I thought I could get this far in a single jump, I would have studied them some._ His eyes lit on some smaller English print below the larger characters. _Beijing, China._

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Nico pulled his aviator jacket closer around himself. “Over 9500 kilometers from Camp Jupiter. Way to overshoot.”

He yawned, the exhaustion hitting him hard. He’d just have to hope no one noticed him behind the trash piles of the alley. There was no chance he was moving for a few hours at least.

* * *

 

Jason watched the sun go down over New Rome from the window of Nico’s Insula apartment. His friend, the boy he was in love with, still wasn’t back yet. It had been three days since the Praetors had shot down his request to go out searching. Four days until he could make the request again, with other Centurions supporting him. _Probably. A lot could happen in four days time though._ He was going to go nuts waiting.

There was a scuffling noise behind him, and he heard one of the wooden chairs fall over. Jason whirled around, hand reaching for the golden coin that wasn’t there. _Stupid Terminus. Stupid law._

Nico stumbled out of a corner, collapsing to his knees in the middle of the room.

Jason was at his side in a second. “Nico!” He looked paler than usual, and felt thinner, less substantial somehow. “When did you get back? I’ve been so–”

“Jason,” His voice was thready, exhausted. “This is my apartment, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Jason let out a nervous chuckle. “I was hoping you’d be here.”

“Just got in,” Nico patted Jason’s shoulder lightly. “Really, really long trip. Think I need a nap.”

“You gonna tell me about it?”

“After I sleep.” Nico seemed ready to lay down right where he was.

“Okay, let’s get you in bed first.” He got one of Nico’s arms around his shoulder and helped him to bed, ignoring the dirt and grime that was transferred from Nico’s clothes to his own and to the sheets. _Those things could be replaced. Nico could not be._

“Thanks,” Nico mumbled as he curled into the soft comforter. “Sorry I’m late. Missed your birthday.”

“It’s fine,” Jason found his fingers had a death grip on the edge of the bed where he sat, looking down at Nico. “You’re here now.”

“Not fine. New power. Screwed it up. Missed your,” Nico’s mumbling became incoherent as he lost consciousness.

Jason brought a hand to cover his face and let out a shaky breath. _It’s okay. Nico’s alive. Nico’s here. He’s alive. I should report to the Praetors. Oh gods. I didn’t know if I’d ever see him again. He’s alive. **He’s alive.**_

Nico shifted in his sleep, and Jason took an edge of one of the sheets to wipe some of the grime off of his face. 

“You came back,” He whispered. _Don’t scare me like that again. Please. I love you. I can’t go through that again. No. I shouldn't dwell on that. He can't know that I... Nico came back. Came back berating himself for missing a stupid birthday that he had only learned about last year. As if something like that mattered. I never celebrate. It's just a year marker. What is important was that Nico was alive, and he was back home. With me._ “Don’t do that to me again, okay? You scared me.”


	12. Stay In Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter did not exist on the original Tumblr version.

It was a shockingly quiet day after the initial commotion of his return.

Nico had woken up in the Insula apartment a few days ago after a particularly long jump to New Rome. Making his way back from Bejing had been a slow and tiring process he was in no hurry to repeat. He had realized around Lihu'e that he had missed Jason's birthday entirely. His first real friend in the world had shared when his birthday was, and he'd missed the first chance to celebrate it. After all the effort Jason put in to make him feel welcome in New Rome, he felt like a terrible person by comparison. Jason had been there in the apartment when he woke up too. The blonde Roman Centurion had been asleep at the desk, drool making a small puddle under his cheek. It would have been hilarious if it didn't make him feel even worse. Jason, being Jason, had insisted he didn't care and never celebrated his birthday anyways. He was just happy Nico was back safely.

_Didn't the guy have a selfish bone in his body? He had to expect something in return for all the kindness. Years of knowing each other, and the other shoe never dropped. Maybe it never would._

He had managed to bring a birthday gift back with him though, a book about Jason's favorite Roman strategist. It was a nice hardback copy, and a first edition. He hoped that was as valuable thing with books as it was with Mythomagic cards. He wanted the present to be nice. Jason had thanked him profusely for it, and hugged him so tightly he was sure he heard his ribs creak. It had made something in his gut warm to see Jason so excited and smiling so broadly over something he'd done. He liked being the one to make Jason happy. Nico carefully avoided thinking too much about what that meant.

The first few days had been a whirlwind of talks with the Praetors and Centurions not-so-casually checking in on him. There had also been a new round of Centurions bent on one-on-one sparring rematches. It wasn't that he rarely did it, but there was suddenly a flood of nearly all of them asking to do so at the same time. He wondered what he'd missed that had prompted it.

He'd had a sparring match with the Second Cohort Centurion Larry an hour ago, and now he rested on the grassy hill overlooking one of the training fields, watching Third Cohort drill on group maneuvers and marching. Aurum was lying next to him, golden head resting on his thigh while Nico scratched behind metallic doggy ears absent-mindedly. Dust reclined on the other side of the automaton canine, watching the greyhound’s long tail wag as if still deciding whether or not it was worth the effort to get up and play with it. This was as close as the grey cat got to him, but it was still better than some people managed, so Nico counted it a win. _Jason's two strays got along as well as could be expected for what they were._

There was a sound behind him, and Dust jumped spasmodically before bolting off into the high grass. Aurum looked up at something behind them before flopping his head back into place and nuzzling Nico's hand for continued skritches. Well, it wasn’t unusual for Dust to get spooked over minor things.

"Welcome home, kid."

Nico jerked his head around only to find Gina approaching him through the long grass, wearing jeans and a purple Camp Jupiter t-shirt. She'd gained a little weight since he'd last seen her, but she looked happier and more relaxed.

"Thanks."

She hummed thoughtfully, raising an eyebrow as she examined the area and determined what Nico was doing out here. "Mind if I sit?"

He glanced at the dog then back up to Gina, "Go ahead."

She sat down next to him, on the side Aurum wasn't taking up, "So was that Dust high-tailing it into the bushes?"

"Yeah."

"I thought that cat didn't like anyone but Jason?"

Nico shrugged, "He likes sleeping on top of Aurum and Argentum. He'll put up with me being in the general vicinity for them. I think it's a heat source thing."

"Makes sense." She laid back in the grass, tucking her arms under her head as a pillow. "I definitely don't miss running drills like that."

"You don't miss the Legion?"

"Some of it." Gina shrugged. "Studying doesn't really suit me, but this leg is never going to be 100% again. School is a good place to start while I figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life."

They sat together in silence for a while, watching Third Cohort move back and forth in uniform lines.

"You and the Praetors work out a way to send word when you get off schedule next time?"

He squirmed in place slightly, trying to cover the flinch as another shrug, "I'm not a part of the Legion. It's not the Praetors' jobs to keep track of me."

"It's their jobs to maintain Legion discipline and address things that mess with morale. Almost half the Centurions were getting ready to put together volunteer search parties. Dakota and Gwendolyn came looking for me, sure Jason was going to go AWOL to look for you by himself. Legion's Golden Boy goes missing, it's going to hurt morale. Our Ambassador being missing certainly wasn't helping it."

Nico refused to look back and meet her eyes, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just do better next time." Gina sighed, "You worried a lot of people, kid. Me included. I know you're tough, and you're not technically part of the Legion. But you are a part of New Rome, and there's people here that care about what happens to you. Just drop a postcard or something when you're running late next time."

Nico felt his throat tighten. _People weren't supposed to care what happened to him or about where he was. Percy -- The Greeks didn't. Nobody had ever gone looking for him since Bianca died. They didn't mind having his skills around when he showed up, but they didn't care where he was when he wasn't being useful. If his own people didn't care, why would the Roman camp? It didn't make sense. It was part of being a child of Hades. People didn't want you around. They couldn't. He naturally repelled living things. It was why Aurum and Argentum were the only animals that liked him._

"I'll try."

"Good enough, I guess." Gina sat up again and ruffled his hair as she had done once before on the train after defeating Talos. "It would break little Chrysanthus' heart if something happened to you."

Nico snorted at the joke name she had come up with for Jason, "He'd be fine."

"You keep telling yourself that, Ambassador."


	13. The Titan War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are moving forward in time. On the East Coast, Titans are bearing down on New York City and Mount Olympus with the first line of defense being the demigods of Camp Half-Blood. On the West Coast lies Mount Othrys, with the throne of Kronos and another Titan force led by Krios.

Nico stood in the open doorway of the private Centurion barrack for a long few minutes, watching his friend don the Imperial Gold armor over the purple Camp Jupiter t-shirt that he spent most of his life in. _It was a long-familiar sight now, Jason dressed for battle._

“Almost time, huh?’

He couldn’t help but smile as Jason started before turning to look at him. “How long have you been,” Jason’s jaw dropped open and he worked it up and down a couple of times, momentarily resembling a fish before he found words again. “What are you wearing?”

Nico made an exaggerated gesture out of looking down at himself, then back up at Jason with a mockingly innocent expression, “Looks like armor.”

He was wearing armor very similar to Jason’s in fact, but with subtle nods to Greek in the design. It was forged of the same black Stygian Iron as his sword, making him look like some dark shadow version of the Legionnaires milling around the camp right now. Under his arm, he carried a helmet with a skull-shaped face guard.

“I know it’s armor.” Jason frowned and drew himself to his full height as if to accentuate the difference between them. “You’re not coming with us.”

 _I should be furious. He knows I can match or best most of his Legionnaires. But… I don’t belong with the Legion. I don’t fight like they do. I’d be a risk. To Jason._ Nico shook his head slowly. _To all of them. Besides, I’ve got somewhere to be, and it’s not beside Jason and the Legion. They have their mission, and I have mine._

“No, I’m not.”

“Then why are you,” Jason gestured helplessly at Nico’s attire, looking embarrassed.

“Hades needs me to do something.”

“A mission from your father? Now?!” Jason’s blue eyes practically sparked with his inherited lightning.

“It’s not exactly a mission **_from_** him this time.”

“What do you mean?”

“It was… my idea. I insisted actually.” Nico looked away. _For the Olympian gods. For the Greek camp. For Percy’s sake. For the people who have done nothing but push me away. Why was that fact so much more obvious when he was standing in New Rome, with the Legion, with Jason, than it was when he looked at Percy and his heart hammered in his chest?_  “At length.”

Jason sat down heavily on the bed, clasping his hands together and pressing them against his forehead. “There’s a war on, Nico, can’t whatever it is wait until things have calmed down?”

“It can’t. That’s kind of the entire point.”

“There are Titans out there, attacking demigods. Right now.” Jason’s hands turned, running roughly through his short-cut hair, rubbing his frustration into his skull. “Not the monsters we normally deal with on quests, actual fought-the-gods-for-control-of-the-world Titans.”

“I know.” He didn’t say the obvious. _Who do you think I’m going to fight, dummy?_

“I’m leading my cohort in the attack on Mount Othrys in a few hours. Can’t you just wait until I’m back? I’ll go with you! Surely it can wait that long?”

“Actually, I have to leave before you do, Jason. I just wanted to wish you luck.”

“And you can’t tell me what this mission is?”

“Not in detail, no.”

Jason dropped his hands in defeat, letting his elbows rest on his knees, hands hanging loose in front of him, and head bowed. “What can you tell me?”

Nico stepped closer, not much more than a foot away, “You’re going to topple the throne of Kronos, but someone has defend Olympus.”

Jason raised his face to look into Nico’s, eyes widened in fresh panic. “Nico, you’re good, but no demigod is that–”

“I talked my father into sending his armies to help the defense.” Nico’s dark eyes seemed to beg him to understand something he wasn’t allowed to say, “ ** _Help._** He agreed, but he expects me to lead them.”

“You’re not a soldier.” There was a begging tone in Jason’s voice as he clasped his hands together between his knees, “You’ve said that yourself.”

“I said, ‘I don’t take orders well.’ I think I can manage giving them.”

Jason narrowed his eyes at his clasped hands and Nico heard his teeth grinding. “I don’t want you to go.”

Nico coughed out half a laugh. “You think I want you going off to war against a bunch of Titans?”

“I won’t be alone!”

“The entire army of the Underworld. I’m not going to be by myself either.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.”

“Yeah, well, same to you.”

“Nico, I…” Jason reached out and took one one of Nico’s hands in his, callused thumb running over scarred knuckles.

“No big heartfelt goodbyes, Jason.”

“No, before you go I have to tell you something?” Jason met his eyes again and cracked a sad-looking smile.

“Not allowed.” Nico squeezed his hand. “Leave unfinished business. I’ll see you back here to celebrate a victory, or I’ll drag your butt out of the Underworld myself.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Nico smiled gently before donning the helmet made of the same black iron as his sword. “Good luck in battle, Centurion Jason Grace.”

He took two steps back into shadows and was gone before Jason could collect his wits to reply.


	14. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It took me a while to realize where "Home" was, but I know now.

Nico stepped into the darkest shadows around Zeus’s Fist, and let them envelop him. _It was time to go. Time to go home. That’s what New Rome had become, hadn’t it? It was home. There were people there who found him useful. People who waited for him. Jason was there._

Staying at Camp Half-Blood had been a colossal mistake. He’d thought his fellow Greek demigods would finally welcome him after the battle against Kronos in New York. That Percy would praise everything he’d done for them. He’d been wrong. Two and a half weeks had worn out his welcome. They’d begun staring at him in the all too-familiar way. _‘Why is he hanging around?’ ‘What’s he still doing here?’_ He’d seen that look enough in his travels. When people believed he was a homeless vagrant. When he had actually **_been_** a homeless vagrant, before he had met Jason and ended up at Camp Jupiter, trailing behind the son of Jupiter like a skittish cat. ( _Like Dust._ ) He knew the look.

He stepped out of the shadows next to the Via Principalis street sign. Beneath the official street labels were the handmade signs added by Roman demigods. Berkeley 5 miles; New Rome 1 mile; Old Rome 7280 miles; Reno 208 miles; (pointing straight down) Hades 2310 miles; and “CERTAIN DEATH: YOU ARE HERE!” He smiled at the sign pointing to Hades. _He and Jason had added that. It had been Jason’s idea._

The camp was dark. It was late, and most Legionnaires would be bunking down for the night. He hadn’t been back since the Titan War. Camp Half-Blood had suffered losses, and he knew Camp Jupiter must have too. If he was honest with himself, he knew that he’d been afraid to return to find which of his Roman acquaintances hadn’t survived the battle. The Romans were more disciplined than the Greeks, more equipped for large scale battle. Besides, he’d needed to stick around Camp Half-Blood for a bit. He had needed to recover his strength before making the trip back. Also, he couldn’t risk raising suspicions that there was another camp. _‘I have to go check on these other demigods I know’_ would have raised too many questions he couldn’t answer.

He made his way towards the Fifth Cohort barracks and the familiar doorway of Jason’s quarters. _There was no question who he needed to see first. They had to celebrate the victory. He’d promised._

He was surprised to find the room empty at this time of day. It was past dinner, and if there had been War Games tonight, Jason would need his armor. The armor stood in it’s regular place on the stand. Except, the armor on the stand was a larger size, and more scarred. His heart sunk as he stood in the middle of the suddenly unfamiliar barrack. _There wasn’t much to note, but there were missing details. Stupid little trinkets, like Jason’s favorite book and the birthday gift Nico had brought back from a trip to Old Rome weren’t in their usual place. The trunk for holding clothes was different, well-used, but a newer model than Jason’s. It belonged to someone else. This was the Fifth Cohort’s Centurion Barrack, but the things inside weren’t Jason’s._

He spun towards the doorway, ready to bolt from the disconcerting sight, but he only got two steps before he realized he had no idea where to go. _He knew the other Centurions well enough, but not where he felt comfortable knocking on their doors at night. The same went for the current Praetors. Ex-Praetor Marius lived almost at the center of New Rome with _Ex-Praetor_ Laelia. Dakota? Gwendolyn? Maybe. They were members of his cohort. Gwendolyn was his co-Centurion. Her room was just next door. If Jason was gone, she would know what had…_ He realized his hands were in his hair, gripping his skull like he could make this go away if he squeezed hard enough. _No! Not Jason. What good was Jupiter if he let his own son… Wasn’t he supposed to be Juno’s champion? Why didn’t she..? NoNoNoNoNo._

He lifted his head at the sound of someone in the doorway. The silhouette was solid black against the lights from the street, and seemed as frozen in shock as he was at the intrusion. He stared uncomprehendingly at the unknown Legionnaire, probably the new Centurion. _Who was probably wondering what in Hades the Ambassador of Pluto was doing barging into his room uninvited._

“Oh no. Not again. You’re sleeping in your own damn bunk tonight.” A voice from further outside called, familiar. _Dakota?_ “You’re a Praetor now, and you need to start acting like it.”

“Nico.” The person in the doorway finally spoke, moving forward into the room, and into the field of vision provided by the dim lamp light.

“Dammit Grace!” Nico registered Dakota exclaiming in frustration from outside.

Jason wrapped his arms around him, his entire body curling into the motion as if he could absorb Nico through sheer willpower. “Nico.” His voice shook and he was speaking directly into his ear. “You’re alive. Dii Immortales. Nico, you’re alive.”

Nico’s hands shook as he reached up to wrap his arms around Jason, smaller hands coming to rest on Jason’s shoulder blades. _Jason. It’s Jason. He’s alive. He’s okay._ He knew his fingers were crooking into claws as he tried to tighten his hold. To dig in and ensure Jason was really there. Flesh and blood and warm under his grip. Jason’s fingers tightened in response, digging into the places where he held Nico, as if searching for the same assurances.

He didn’t know how long they’d been standing like that, no real words being exchanged, just flexing grips and hanging onto each other for dear life. Jason’s hold on him suddenly slackened, and instead of holding on, Nico found Jason was suddenly dead weight in his arms, and he had to struggle to hold the older demigod up. He made a helpless grunt. Jason had a couple of dozen pounds on him, and this wasn’t going to end well.

There was a relief of pressure, and Jason’s weight was pulled off of him.

“Dii Immortales Grace, you’re a pain in the ass.” Dakota complained loudly as he lifted Jason away from Nico and trundled him into the bed with a loud thump.

Nico just stared at the unconscious blonde demigod. He wore his purple camp t-shirt and jeans with Legion-issue boots. He seemed completely unharmed from the last time Nico had seen him. To one side of his vision, Nico noted Dakota standing up straight, rubbing his head and putting on an annoyed expression as he looked down at Nico.

“And where in Hades have you been, Di Angelo?”

Nico looked up at Dakota and blinked owlishly. _His brain wasn’t recovering quickly enough to deal with this._

“You hit your head on that gaudy helmet you were wearing the other week?” Dakota rolled his eyes and sighed. “Not that the Praetor’s Villa isn’t nice and everything, but I’d like to be staying there because I earned it, not because I can’t get the bloody Praetor to leave my room. I earned this barrack.”

“What?” _Not the most intelligent response, but at least words were making it out of his mouth now._

“Jason got a battlefield promotion. He’s Praetor now. I’m Centurion for the Fifth.”

“Congratulations.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Dakota pulled one of the padded chairs out of the corner, and plopped it down next to the bed. “Only problem’s been nobody’s seen or heard from you since right before the battle started, and the last anybody saw was you in full armor saying something about defending Olympus. Sit.”

“Yeah.” That was the best Nico could manage towards confirming the information. He sat in the chair Dakota had provided, staring at the empty space inbetween the two Romans.

It should have been impossible, but Dakota managed to look more disapproving. “So I’ve got a Praetor in my damn barrack every night for two and a half weeks insisting, ‘ _just for a few minutes_ ’ ‘cause you won’t know where else to look for him, like I wouldn’t’ve sent you straight to him to moment you showed up. So every night he’s here til he passes out because he’s barely sleeping and then running around all day like everything’s normal, and I gotta trek up to the Praetor’s Villa if I want a bed to myself, which I do, because that lunkhead’s too big to share one of these dinky beds with. You see my problem?”

Nico nodded slowly, eyes shifting to look only at Jason. _Jason had been waiting for him to return. Every night. Probably thinking he was dead. And he’d been at Camp Half-Blood trying to hang around a bunch of demigods that could barely stand him. Why? Jason was here. Was home._

“Last time for this nonsense. You tell him that when he wakes up. And Di Angelo,” Dakota demanded his attention. “You stay in this room until that idiot wakes up or, Legionnaire or not, I’ll figure out what we do to Ambassadors that desert their damn post.”

Nico met Dakota’s eyes, finally feeling like his brain was coming back into focus. “I’m not going anywhere, Centurion.”

“Better not,” Dakota grumbled, taking a prepacked bag from on top of the trunk and closing the door behind him as he exited.

* * *

 

Jason woke up a short couple of hours later, to the familiar ceiling of the Fifth Cohort’s Centurion barrack. _Dakota’s going to be furious again._

He rolled on the bed, and saw Nico, sleeping sitting up in a chair that had been pulled up next to the bed. His heart stopped for a second and his throat constricted.  _I didn’t dream it. Nico’s back. He’s alive._

Jason sat up in the bed, swinging his legs over the side to scoot closer. He reached out, brushing the long bangs out of Nico’s face. _All his limbs were there. No new scars. No visible damage. He was alive and whatever harm had come to him had healed in the two weeks since the battle._

“Thank the gods,” He breathed out, tangling his fingers in Nico’s hair as his eyes kept sweeping over his skin, checking for some injury he might have missed. Whatever had kept Nico away for so long. “I thought I’d lost you.”

There was a deep breath in and out, and that was the only warning he had before Nico’s eyes snapped open, dark eyes locking onto his own. He swallowed hard, freezing in place, hand still resting lightly against Nico’s temple.

Nico took another long breath in and out, as if steadying himself. “Dakota said if you take over his room again, he’ll make you target practice for the Apollo legacies.”

Jason chuckled and used his already tangled fingers to gently pull Nico’s head forward until their foreheads were resting against each other. “Did he?”

“I heard you’re Praetor now. Congratulations.”

“Don’t really care at the moment.”

“Marius would be disappointed to hear you say that.”

“Nico,” Jason said urgently. “I have something I need to tell you. Unfinished business.”

Nico swallowed hard, and Jason felt the motion through the points where their skin connected. “Okay.”

“First of all, welcome home.”

Something broke in Nico’s expression, eyes suddenly wavering on the verge of tears. It took every ounce of Roman discipline to not pull Nico across the small distance into his arms, but he needed to be able to let Nico pull away if he rejected the next part. _As much as he wanted to hang on and never let go, he needed to be ready to let him go. He couldn’t hold it back anymore. Not as a secret. The last two weeks had erased any doubt he had of that._

“No matter what happens, you always have a home here in New Rome. You know that, right?”

Nico nodded slightly, not breaking eye contact.

Jason took a deep breath, “You know if I tell you something isn’t sudden, that I’ve known it for a long time, I’m not exaggerating, right?”

Another miniscule nod.

“Nico,  I’m in love with you. For a long time. Only you,” Nico’s skin shuddered against his touch. “Not knowing what happened to you these past weeks, every time you disappear longer than you say you will, it hurts. You’re my best friend, and I value our friendship more than I can ever explain. But I’m also in love with you.”

Nico just stared at him in silence, and Jason felt his confidence waver. When he’d held Nico last night, he’d thought that, surely, even if Nico didn’t feel the same, even if he thought two men being in love was wrong, the friendship would remain. Now he wondered if he was asking too much.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

And suddenly Nico was in his arms. Nico’s face moved past his to bury itself in the crook where his neck met his shoulder, fluffy hair slipping out of Jason’s fingers, and his arms wrapped around Jason like he was a lifeline. Jason swallowed the knot in his throat and wrapped his arms around Nico, leaning back to pull both of them into a safer balance on the bed. He buried his own face against Nico’s shoulder, and thanked every god he knew for this moment.

“I love you,” He repeated, as if his words could etch the confession into Nico’s skin. “I love you.”

Nico tightened his embrace and turned his head until his lips were brushing against Jason’s ear, “You too. Love you.”

Jason pulled away enough to press his lips against Nico’s forehead. “Love you.” He repeated it like a mantra. Like magic words. _Weren’t they? They felt magic._

Nico turned his face up to look into Jason’s eyes again, and Jason leaned forward, bringing his lips to Nico’s in the lightest possible kiss. Thier noses bumped awkwardly and he chuckled into the space where their breath mingled, “Love you.”

Nico laughed nervously in return, and Jason turned his head to correct the angle, kissing him again. Nico’s eyes were closed, and he was breathing in deeply when Jason pulled back again, but there was definitely a smile there.

“So tired,” Jason chuckled as he leaned his forehead against Nico’s again.

“Me too. Shadow travel is exhausting.”

“We should sleep.”

“Yeah.”

Jason didn’t release Nico from his arms as he laid back in the bed, pulling Nico along to lay next to him, ignoring that they were both still fully clothed, shoes probably ruining Dakota’s sheets.

Nico shifted to a more comfortable position next to him, his head using Jason’s arm for a pillow. “Little different from the last time we slept together.”

“Lot different,” Jason whispered into his hair, already feeling sleep reclaiming his senses. “Much better.”


	15. Stay With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter that wasn't in the original Tumblr-version. Boyfriend-time fluff.

Jason had barely been able to believe it when he woke up to Nico in his arms a week ago. Nico had barely believed it when the reactions around them were more ' _finally_ 's than disgust. The worst they got was teasing from Dakota about being sappy or Nico going easy on Jason in sparring and Marius openly doting on Nico now that he and Jason were a couple. _Well, and there was Octavian, but Octavian was generally negative about anything involving Nico to begin with. The other Centurions made up for his snide comments._

"I don't know how to do this," Nico rubbed his arm in a nervous gesture, looking everywhere but at Jason.

 _Was it bad to think his boyfriend was adorable when he was nervous? Confident, battlefield Nico was distractingly attractive of course, but the Nico in front of him now was just... cute. No matter what happened, the guy drew his attention and affection. Nico Di Angelo is going to be the death of me._ "How to do what?"

"Date. I've never done," He made a couple of aborted gestures with his hands. "Anything before."

"It's just dinner Nico," Jason smiled warmly and took one of the fidgeting hands into his. "We've done that hundreds of times. The only thing that's different is you know how I feel about you. Nothing else has to change."

"But I," Nico shook his head roughly. "You're going to want to..."

"See you smile and to be close to you when you do." Jason chuckled. "That's all. I have all the time in the world for you, okay? There's no rush for things to change."

"Then you don't want to," Nico's eyebrows furrowed, and Jason pulled him closer by thier joined hands.

"I want a lot of things, Nico, but I want you to want them too." Jason pulled his hand up to kiss the back of it lightly. "I love you. As long as you love me too, I'm happy. Everything else we can take at whatever speed you're comfortable with, got it?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Let's go get dinner."

"Okay." Jason paused and looked back when Nico didn't immediately move forward with him. Nico's cheeks were bright red, but he pulled thier joined hands towards himself in an echo of Jason's movement until he kissed the back of Jason's hand. "I love you too, Jason."

Jason's free hand jumped to cover his face and he felt his cheeks and ears heat up with a blush of his own. _Everything in his world was just getting better and better since they toppled the throne of Kronos._

* * *

 

Jason didn't open his eyes when he heard someone settle in next to him on the grass. It was a rare free afternoon, and he'd decided to take a nap in the sunshine on the hill that overlooked the training fields. Nico was due back from an errand from Pluto--Hades late today or early tomorrow. He intentionally kept his breathing slow and relaxed, pretending to be asleep. He knew the presence next to him as well as he knew anyone's. _Nico was home early._

It was admittedly hard to stay still and keep his breathing even when Nico leaned over to kiss him. He managed. He was curious what Nico would do next if left to his own devices.

What happened was, Jason ended up with a heavy weight on his chest, pressing down a little harder when he didn't immediately open his eyes.

There was Nico's familiar chuckle and a soft remonstration, "I know you're awake. Stop pretending."

He opened his eyes to find Nico laying half on top of him, a wry grin across his features. Jason couldn't help but smile in response, bringing his arms up to wrap around the smaller boy's waist. "Exspectata domus, Nico."

"Yeah." His smile wavered slightly and he dropped his head to hide his face against Jason's chest. "I'm home."

Jason squeezed him slightly, pulling his boyfriend into a more comfortable position, "Everything okay?"

"Is now," Nico mumbled. "Just a long trip."

"Okay, naptime then."

Nico laughed and pulled his head up to met Jason's eyes again, "Is that all you Praetors do when I'm not looking? Nap?"

"Absolutely," Jason smirked in a way he knew Nico found attractive. "You should've joined the Legion when you had the chance."

"I don't take orders well."

"Don't I know it," Jason faked a pout. "I keep telling you to stay here, and you keep going off to fulfill other duties."

"You chose to fall for an Ambassador."

"To be fair, I did chose you first," Jason smirked. "You were made Ambassador after I dragged you here."

Nico moved forward, initiating another kiss, one that this time Jason felt free to respond to. They were both gasping a little for breath when thier lips separated again.

"You like me this way."

"I very much do." Jason let his fingers play in the loose curls of Nico's hair. "I still wish you weren't away so often."

"It's not that often."

"I'm just greedy. You know how selfish we children of Jupiter are."

"You? Selfish?" Nico snorted, "Right. Not in this lifetime."

Jason hummed thoughtfuly, "Feeling very selfish right now. Just want to keep you all to myself."

"You have the day free?"

"Yep. You?"

Nico moved as if he was about to get up, "Well, I'm supposed to report in to the Praetors..."

"Consider yourself reported in." Jason tugged him back against his chest. "Let's just stay here for a while."

"I think I can follow that order."

"For once."

Jason laughed when Nico rolled his eyes and lightly hit his stomach in response to the comment. He was staying put, and that was all that mattered.


	16. The Last Safe Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter that wasn't in the tumblr version. Getting close to the point where everything changes.

The swords clanged together and a cheer rang out over the arena. Jason moved, pressing his advantage only for the figure in black to spin away, a metallic flash of darkness in the midday sun. He righted his steps before he overbalanced to the point of stumbling and turned to follow the progress of his opponent.

Decked out in full armor crafted from pitch black Stygian Iron, his fellow warrior cut an impressive figure on the field. He rolled his shoulders under the Imperial Gold plates of his own armor, adjusting his stance and causing the purple Praetor’s cape to flare behind him dramatically.

The crowd cheered loudly at the display and Jason grinned broadly. His opponent shook the head under the helmet in silent admonishment against grandstanding, but the citizens of New Rome were here for a show. He was just providing what his people wanted. If entertaining the citizens meant seeing his boyfriend in that armor from the Titan War again, _well that was a bonus._

Nico gestured for him to come at him again, and Jason started moving in a circle, not enough of a fool to lunge at the Greek demigod son of Hades and Ambassador of Pluto head on.

Legionnaires started pounding weapons against shields, creating a beat for their dance.

_Earth versus sky. Pluto versus Jupiter. Heavens versus Underworld. Zeus versus Hades._

The Senate couldn’t complain the Legion’s Praetors weren’t participating in the city festivals for a while after this.

They clashed again, and this time Jason managed to knock Nico’s helmet away. Olive toned skin glistened with sweat in the sunlight, while his dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail that showed off his sharp cheekbones and the lean muscles of his throat. He smiled dangerously at Jason, his dark eyes glinting with wickedness. Jason bit his lower lip to stop from returning the smile as he felt a heat kindling in his stomach _. Damn, Nico looked good on the field. It was a shame they never got to fight side by side._

The exhibition match went on for nearly a half hour in total, and Jason’s muscles were burning in complaint as the pair ducked into the passageway that would let them exit the arena and go clean up.

“Bathhouse?” Nico questioned as he tucked both sword and helmet under one arm.

“Mmm,” Jason nodded. _A long soak sounded like a good idea after that exertion, but there was one thing before they went back put in a public area. He wondered if Nico was half as exhausted as he was._ “Nico?”

Nico only paused for a second before Jason had caught up with him, his fingers finding purchase at the back of Nico’s neck and pulling him forcefully around into a kiss. There was a muffled sound of surprise before Nico returned the kiss, his own free hand finding a grip on Jason’s shoulder strap and pulling him in closer. They stumbled together a bit until Nico’s back hit the side of the tunnel.

They both chuckled breathlessly as they broke the kiss, foreheads resting against each other’s.

“I’m exhausted,” Nico admitted.

“Me too,” Jason breathed through a smile. “Just wanted to be sure you knew you looked hot out there.”

“Weirdo.”

“Your weirdo.”

“Good.” Nico smiled and closed his eyes when Jason’s grin widened. “We both stink. Seriously, let’s hit the bathhouse.”

* * *

“Praetor Grace!”

Jason looked up at the breathless Legionnaire who came running into the Principia office. “Report?”

“Ambassador Di Angelo has returned.”

He smiled warmly, “We expected him back today. Thank you for the news.”

“Praetor, he isn’t alone.” The Legionnaire looked nervously back the way he came. “He’s waiting at the bridge over the Little Tiber for you or Praetor Ramirez-Arellano.”

“I’ll go.” He rose, brushing non-existent dust from his jeans. “Please locate Praetor Ramirez-Arellano and advise her to join us at the bridge.”

_Something had to be up._

A small crowd was starting to gather near the bridge, talking among themselves. Nico was standing on the bridge itself, leaning against the railing in a relaxed posture, talking to a shorter girl with dark skin and a head of curling hair the color of cinnamon.

As he approached, Nico straightened and turned to him.

“Exspectata domus1, Ambassador.”

“Gratias2, Praetor. It’s good to be home.”

“It’s unusual for you the bring someone to New Rome,” Jason said slowly, warily. _That was an understatement. It had never happened before. Nico had helped lost Legionnaires find their way home, but he’d never brought strangers to the city before. The girl was a demigod, a powerful one._ He could sense that much.

“Jason, I’d like you to meet Hazel Levesque,” Nico put a hand on the girl’s shoulder, stepping closer to her. “She’s my sister, and a true Roman daughter of Pluto. Hazel, this is Jason Grace, son of Jupiter and Praetor of the First Legion.”

Jason blinked at her then at Nico, “Your sister?”

Nico nodded, and Jason could see the protectiveness in his face among a myriad of mixed emotions. _This wasn’t Bianca, but she was Nico’s sister._ He knew better than anyone else how much that meant to Nico.

“I’d like for her to join the Legion.” His eyes locked with Jason’s, “She belongs here.”

Jason held his gaze, giving a slight nod before turning to meet Hazel’s liquid gold eyes. “There’s formalities to be observed, but welcome to New Rome, Hazel Levesque. You’ll be safe here.”

_She'll be safe because she's Roman, and Romans are safe inside New Rome. She'll be safe because she's Nico's sister, and Jason knows the impossible lengths Nico will go to for the people he gives that title. She'll be safe because he will stand between her and whatever would put Nico in such a position ever again. He can't bear to ever see Nico in that much pain again. As much as a Roman demigod ever can be safe, she will be because they will make it so._

* * *

 "Thank you." Nico settled in next to him on that beat up old couch in the Praetors' office where Jason had once confessed his feelings for the boy to Marius. "For making sure she could stay."

"Of course."

"I know she's Roman, but she's also a child of Pluto. I knew there was a risk..."

"Nico," Jason chided gently, taking Nico's hands in his. "You were right, Hazel belongs here. In the Legion. There's no need to thank me for anything."

"You're impossible," There's a relieved smile on Nico's face at odds with his words, and Jason could only smile in response.

"I have to admit though, I thought if I met another big three demigod, they would be a child of Neptune. You know, complete the set?"

Nico grimaced at that.

"I'm feeling a little outnumbered here, with all the children of Pluto and just little old me for Jupiter."

The grimace didn't fade, but shifted into an expression Jason couldn't quite make sense of. "It's a big world. There may be other big three demigods out there you haven't met yet. Maybe..."

"Hey," He squeezed the long-fingered hands in his gently and leaned in trying to be reassuring. "I'm just kidding around with that. Who wants some waterlogged demigod anyways? Probably smells like fish. I'm really glad you found Hazel, but you're the only one I needed to meet."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> 1\. “Exspectata domus” (Latin) -- Welcome Home  
> 2\. “Gratias” (Latin) -- Thanks


	17. The Lost Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters today, because I'm ready to get this all up and done with. Time for things to get unpleasant.

Nico stepped out of the shadows by the Fifth Cohort barracks, and smiled to himself. _Old habits die hard._ He started walking towards The Principia to let the Legion Praetors know he was back in New Rome.

“Di Angelo?” Nico stopped and turned to see Dakota jogging away from Fifth Cohort towards him.

“Centurion,” Nico greeted as Dakota came close.

“You’re back,” Dakota huffed as he came to a stop. _He must be returning from a training session to be this winded._  “Is Jason with you?”

“No. I just got back from a two week mission, why would,” The realization hit Nico and he felt his face freeze in that confused moment as a precursor to having confirmation. “You don’t know where Jason is.”

“He disappeared while he was on border patrol. We’d hoped he had run into you and you two had left together on some last minute quest.”

“No. I haven’t,” Nico shook his head. “I haven’t been back. I just got here less than a minute ago.”

“Dammit.” Dakota clenched his fists. “Head to The Principia. Reyna should be there. I’m going to round up the Centurions.”

Nico nodded woodenly. “Dakota, let Hazel know I’m back. Tell her I’ll probably have to leave again before I get a chance to meet up with her.”

Dakota put a firm hand on his shoulder for a brief squeeze before turning away, “We’re going to figure this out, Nico.”

* * *

 

Nico leaned on one of the empty low-backed chairs in the main room of The Principia. In one of the high backed chairs, Reyna leaned forward with elbows on the table, fingers steepled together. Centurions were trickling in slowly, sent by Dakota.

“We had really hoped,” Reyna let the phrase trail off, she’d already said it at least three times.

Whether she meant it as excuse or explanation, Nico found he really didn’t care. He was furious. And terrified. _He couldn’t lose Jason. Not after everything they’d been through. Not after they had finally…_

“You’re bleeding. Stop it.” Reyna spoke calmly, not really looking up at him.

Nico looked down and saw where his death grip on his own crossed arms had cut crescents into the flesh, and little flecks of blood now decorated his arms. He forced himself to release the hold, and let his hands abuse the aviator’s jacket slung over the back of the chair he stood against. He needed to do something to keep from shaking with nerves.

“I can’t stay here.”

“We need a plan.”

“You had a week to come up with a plan,” He hissed between clenched teeth. “He’s your Praetor!”

“Di Angelo,” Reyna said slowly. “We’re doing the best we can. We searched. There wasn’t anything to find. We’re going to escalate now.”

“Let me know everything you do know,” Nico picked up the jacket and put it back down, wavering on whether or not he should even stay long enough to listen to the Legion Officers meeting. “I’ll perform my own search.”

“I know,” Reyna reached a hand across the table palm up, offering it to him. “Let us help as much as we can before you start.”

 _He was going to stay long enough for the meeting._ He reached across the table and briefly squeezed Reyna’s hand before taking a seat and drumming his fingers on the underside of the table.

* * *

 

 

(Note: According to the books, Jason disappeared in October and then showed up on the Wilderness School bus with no memories 5~6 days before the Winter Solstice in December, the deadline for thier quest. This is days after Jason, Piper, and Leo completed their quest, while Jason’s memories are still just starting to return.) 

 

Nico stepped out of the shadows on the side of the huge front porch of the Big House at Camp Half-Blood. He didn’t like coming here anymore. He hadn’t had cause to return since the end of the Titan War, but the search for Jason had been going for a couple of months now, with no new results. He needed someplace safe to rest, if only for the night, and he was too far and too tired to make the trip to Camp Jupiter.

He took one step forward before stumbling back to lean against the side of the house. _He was working himself to the bone, and he still hadn’t found even a hint of where Jason was._ He closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair as if he could shake out a new idea. _The son of Jupiter had just disappeared off the face of the Earth. He wasn’t in the Underworld either._ Nico had checked. He’d thought he’d felt Jason there for a second a couple of days ago, but by the time he’d reached the banks of the Styx, there was no sign of him. His father had reluctantly confirmed what his senses already told him. _Jason is still alive._

Apparently, the sound of his back colliding with the porch had drawn attention, because he heard a voice he only barely recognized above him, and opened his eyes to see a bearded face peering down at him.

“Nico Di Angelo.”

“Chiron.” He let his arms drop to his sides, and wondered if he looked as tired as he felt. “I just want to stay for the night. I won’t cause any trouble.”

“Mr. Di Angelo,” Chiron spoke chidingly. “You are always welcome here.”

Nico scoffed.

“Actually,” The centaur pulled on his beard as if thinking. _Here it comes. They need something from me. That’s why I’m welcome to stay the night instead of my return being questioned._  “I believe Annabeth would like to ask your help with our current crisis if you’re up for it.”

_Annabeth. Which meant Percy needed something from him. Figures._

“Fine.” _He’d suspected there’d be a price for staying here. Camp Half-Blood only wanted him around when he was pulling it’s tail out of the flames. Camp Jupiter might find him useful, but it was in the same way most demigods were useful. He was welcome --wanted-- there even when he wasn't doing something for them._  “Where is she?”

“Near the fireworks beach, I believe.”

Nico pushed himself away from the wall with great effort and started walking towards Long Island Sound. _Of course she had to be on the other side of camp. Of course._

He was almost in sight of the beach when Nico met Annabeth, walking back in his direction. She looked surprised to see him, but waved him down.

“Nico!”

He made an effort not to grimace. _Very little of his current bad mood was actually Camp Half-Blood’s fault, and he did need to work on not holding grudges. It was a work in progress. One Jason being around made much easier._  “Hello Annabeth.”

“When’d you get back to camp?”

 _Small talk? Really? He didn’t have the energy for this._  “About fifteen minutes ago. Chiron said you needed me for something? Something about a crisis?”

Annabeth at least had the decency to look embarrassed that he’d been put to work within minutes of arriving. “Yeah. I know you get around a lot, and you have the ability to shadow travel...”

“Yeah,” He shoved his hand in the pockets of his jacket, wondering exactly where this was going.

“Percy’s been missing, for a couple of weeks now.” Nico’s stomach dropped to his feet. _There was no way Jason and Percy both disappearing was a coincidence. Two sons of the big three? No._ “I was hoping maybe you’d seen him? Or you could help look for him?”

“I haven’t seen him.” Nico paused for a long moment before continuing. “I’m sorry, but I kind of have my own missing per–”

“You had to drop that so it went everywhere Leo?” The girl’s voice was laughing even as she complained, and her two companions seemed equally amused despite being liberally splattered in what looked like motor oil.

“It’s good for your skin, Beauty Queen! In fact--”

Nico’s ability to pay attention to the conversation wavered as his focus honed to the third person coming down the hill behind Annabeth. _Months of searching, and Jason was right there. How long had he been at Camp Half-Blood? Why was he here?_

“Nico?” Annabeth tapped his shoulder gingerly, “You alright?”

“I, umm,” He was too tired to do this. _The camps were secret from each other. Jason couldn’t be here, but he was. Why hadn’t he tried to contact anyone? Why was Jason here?  
_

“Hey Wise Girl! Tell Piper that motor oil is totally good for your skin!”

The trio joined Nico and Annabeth, and Nico couldn’t help but take an involuntary step back. _If Jason knew about Camp Half-Blood, what must he think of him now? Did he hate him for keeping the Greek camp a secret? Was that why he hadn’t contacted him?_

“I don’t think so Leo,” Annabeth rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry Nico, these are some of our new campers. They just got back from a quest earlier this week.” She gestured to each demigod as she introduced them, “Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite; Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus; and Jason Grace, son of Zeus.”

“You’re honored, I’m sure.” The boy called Leo offered a grease stained hand which Nico just stared at until Piper batted it away.

“We’re usually cleaner than this,” She smiled apologetically. “Nice to meet you, Nico was it?”

He shook his head slowly, “Don’t worry about it. I’m never here.”

He knew he was curling in on himself, wanting to disappear, but he couldn’t force his posture to straighten. _Gods, what must Jason think of him now?_

Jason had been watching his interactions with the other two, his expression confused. He stepped forward when Nico took another step backwards. “No, what was your name? Have we met before?”

Nico jerked to face Jason then, his eyes wide and full of pain he couldn’t cover up fast enough. He knew his voice sounded choked even as he opened his mouth, “What?”

“Sorry, that probably sounds weird.” Jason rubbed the back of his neck and gave Nico a sheepish look, “I’m Jason Grace, son of Jupiter. Juno-- Hera took most of my memories of everything from before a couple of weeks ago, and I’m still trying to figure things out. Things are starting to come back, but it’s really slow. You just... seem familiar somehow. I thought maybe I knew you, from before?”

“Aww Sparky,” Leo wrapped an arm around Jason’s shoulder. “You don’t need to worry about before. You’ve got the coolest and funniest best friend in the world and the hottest girlfriend. What could you be missing?”

_Best friend. Girlfriend. Funny and outgoing. Beautiful and polite. And maybe most importantly, actually a girl. What could Jason be missing? This would be better. Easier._

“Leo…”

“It’s Nico Di Angelo, son of Hades.” He watched Jason’s eyes for any spark of familiarity, of the boy he knew. The one he loved.

“Nice to meet you, Nico.” The blue eyes that looked at him now were friendly and polite, and absolutely devoid of the history they’d shared a few short months ago.

_At least he’s alive. Juno is behind this. If I try to meddle with her plans... Her wrath would be terrible. He’s alive, and unhurt, and he has a chance at a new life. I should be happy for him._

“Don’t worry about it Grace,” He frowned. “I’m never around Camp Half-Blood, so you don’t need to worry about remembering my name.”

He turned and started walking back towards the cabins, determined to get some sleep before he had to deal with anything else.

“Nico!” Annabeth called after him. “What we were talking about!”

Nico paused in walking away, but didn’t turn back. He wasn't sure he could keep walking away if he looked at Jason again, and he _had_ to walk away. “I think there might be something bigger at work. I’m going to talk with my father. I’ll leave camp tomorrow.”


	18. Mark of Athena

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next couple of chapters will heavily lean on canon book content. Incase you can't tell, I got quite attached to Dakota in the process of writing this.

Jason felt relieved when Reyna called for a feast, and watched her order Dakota to inform the spirits to prepare extra food. Dakota was one of those familiar names he had recalled in that first break in his memory block, and he assumed they must be old friends, even if he didn’t quite recall their history.

Once things started, he found several Legionnaires making a point to stop by his table, checking in with him. Assuring themselves that he was okay. The news of Jason’s missing and foggy memories seemed to disturb several of them just as much as the news of the Giants and Juno’s imprisonment at the Wolf House. After the way most of Camp Half-Blood had seemed willing to roll with it as little more than an inconvenient side effect, the Romans seeming deeply unnerved initially struck him as strange.

_It made sense though. He’d gotten used to it being brushed to the side as a low priority with the Greeks. It was different for the Romans. He’d been in the Legion for 12 years, most of his life. He had been -- still was -- a Praetor. What didn’t bother the people who hadn’t known him before, would disturb and worry the people who actually knew him._

Dakota plopped down beside him, glass of kool-aid in hand. “So there was a Greek camp after all. That must’ve been an awkward conversation with Di Angelo.”

“Who?” Jason stared at Dakota quizzically. _Di Angelo, the name definitely sounded familiar. He’d met someone with that surname at Camp Half-Blood, but the boy hadn’t acted like they knew each other._

Dakota’s expression shifted to confusion, then worry, “Di Angelo did find you, right? Don’t tell me Pluto called him for that mission before he found you!? I thought he was going drop The Principia into the Underworld with all the Centurions still inside when he found out you were missing. He spent months searching." Dakota's eyes tracked back and forth, searching Jason's face for a reaction that wasn't coming, "Harder than anyone.”

“Nico Di Angelo?” Piper broke off her conversation to join theirs. “The son of Hades?”

“Yeah.” Dakota’s eyebrows furrowed. “He **_really_ ** didn’t find you?”

“No. He did.” Jason set his own glass down carefully. “He didn’t mention we knew each other. I thought he seemed familiar, but...”

“You don’t remember Di Angelo.” Dakota’s face shifted to something akin to horror, and his voice became low. “How can you, ** _of all people_** , not remember Nico Di Angelo? Ambassador of Pluto? Your--”

“Hey, don’t get mad at Jason, it’s not his fault, Hera--”

Dakota raised a dismissive eyebrow at Piper, “No offense Miss, but this **_really_** isn’t any of your business.”

“I’m his girlfriend. It very much **_is_** my business.”

“Pipes,” Jason put a hand on her arm. “It’s okay.”

“No. It’s not.” Dakota’s expression shifted again, this time to anger. His hands shook for a few seconds, and kool-aid splashed out of the side of his glass and onto his jeans. “I didn’t put up with helping cover for you for months, you stealing my damn bunk every night for three weeks straight for _**this**_. He’s probably missing now, and you couldn’t care less. Dii Immortales Grace, you’re a pain in the ass.” Dakota practically spat the last sentence as he stood and stomped away to join a table made up primarily of Centurions with his back to them.

“What was all that about?”

“I don’t know.” Jason bit his lip. _But apparently, Nico Di Angelo shouldn’t have told me not to worry about remembering his name._

* * *

 

Jason and Piper re-joined the other Greek demigods mid-conversation, a small Legionnaire with dark skin and curly hair currently at the leading the discourse.

“My brother, Nico, went looking for the doors,” she said.

“Wait,” Annabeth said. “Nico Di Angelo? He’s your brother?”

Hazel nodded.

Jason found himself examining her face more closely, looking for something familiar. _This is Nico’s sister. He must have known her. She must know how he knew Nico. Must know why Dakota was so upset with him for not remembering. He felt like it had to be important._

“He disappeared.” Hazel moistened her lips. “I’m afraid... I’m not sure, but I think something’s happened to him.”

Jason realized that Hazel was making a point of not looking at him. Dakota’s words from before echoed in his head. ‘I thought he was going drop The Principia in to the Underworld with all the Centurions still inside when he found out you were missing.’ ‘He’s probably missing now, and you couldn’t care less.’ _How could he not remember someone that he was apparently that important to? How could that person look at him at Camp Half-Blood and act like they’d never met?_

“We’ll look for him,” Percy promised. “We have to find the Doors of Death anyway. Thanatos told us we’d find both answers in Rome -- like, the original Rome. That’s on the way to Greece, right?”

Jason’s brain wandered off on a tangent as the others talked, trying to sort through vague memories for some sign of Nico Di Angelo. All he could turn up was that day at Camp Half-Blood, walking back to the cabins after Leo had spilled motor oil on all of them in the early stages of constructing the Argo II. The olive skinned and dark-haired demigod in an over-sized aviator’s jacket that had been talking to Annabeth. He’d stared at them with intense dark eyes, and stepped backwards every time Jason tried to talk to him. _That intense stare though…_ Jason remembered a flash of emotion that had been quickly covered up. Like he had slapped Nico when he asked if they had met before. _Nico had chosen not to say anything, but why?_

He registered Reyna talking in his periphery, “You propose an expedition to Greece in your warship. You do realize that the ancient lands --and the Mare Nostrum-- are dangerous?”

“Mary who?” Leo asked.

“Mare Nostrum,” He explained automatically. _It was reflexive. Why did some things come so easily while others wouldn’t come to him no matter how hard he reached?_ “Our Sea. It’s what the Ancient Romans called the Mediterranean.”

Reyna nodded. “The territory that was once the Roman Empire is not only the birthplace of the gods. It’s also the ancestral home of the monsters, Titans and giants... and worse things. As dangerous as travel is for demigods here in America, there it would be ten times worse.”

“You said Alaska would be bad,” Percy responded confidently. “We survived that.”

Reyna shook her head. Her fingernails cut little crescents into the apple as she turned it. “Percy, traveling in the Mediterranean is a different level of danger altogether. It’s been off limits to Roman demigods for centuries. No hero in his right mind would go there.”

“Then we’re good!” Leo grinned enthusiastically. “Because we’re all crazy, right? Besides, the Argo II is a top-of-the-line warship. She’ll get us through.”

“We’ll have to hurry,” Jason added. “I don’t know exactly what the giants are planning, but Gaea is growing more conscious all the time. She’s invading dreams, appearing in weird places, summoning more and more powerful monsters. We have to stop the giants before they can wake her up fully.”

_He wanted answers about his past. About Nico. But they didn’t have time. The world was at stake. His personal issues would have to be set aside for now. Maybe... Maybe he could find answers along the way. If Nico was tied up in this thing with the Doors of Death, maybe they would meet again and he could get an explanation._

* * *

 

The battle against Otis and Ephialtes had been chaotic. He and Percy had been doing everything they could to keep the Giants’ attention and not get killed, but he recalled snippets of what had been going on around them outside the primary battle. Little moments that stood out too clearly, and hurt far more than they should have given that he didn’t really remember knowing Nico Di Angelo.

Otis knocking over the bronze jar and Nico Di Angelo spilling out onto the dais, curled in on himself, bones seeming to stand out against unnaturally pale skin. He hadn’t seemed to be breathing at first, and Jason thought his heart had stopped.

The moment when Nico had shuddered and stirred for the first time. The tongues of Otis’s snake feet flicking out over his head, his hair, his skin. Jason had been both elated and furious. Piper had stepped up, distracting the giant, and Nico had started to crawl away. Every noise he had made as he tried to move had seemed impossibly loud, carrying to Jason’s ears as if he was right next to him instead of impossibly far away and unable to help without drawing attention back to Nico.

Heavy sandbags falling around Piper and Nico as she tried to pull him to safety. Jason screaming both their names, not knowing who he was more worried for.

Then Bacchus-- Dionysus had shown up and things had become too hectic. Ultimately, they had won.

* * *

 

They were back on the Argo II now. He’d finished bandaging Piper’s shoulder, but he couldn’t ignore Nico sitting with Hazel, their heads bowed together speaking so softly that Hazel practically pressed their faces together to hear him.

He’d had to drag his attention back to Percy when he’d come over to join Piper and himself for enthusiastic small talk.

“Guys,” Hazel interrupted them as she helped Nico to his feet. “I hate to interrupt your admiration session, but you should hear this.”

The clearer a look Jason got at Nico Di Angelo, the more he wished he hadn’t. The Greek demigod was pale. Paler than he’d been when they’d met at Camp Half-Blood months ago. His skin seemed too thin, stretched over his bones like wet paper, and those dark eyes were sunken instead of the intense black he remembered. Jason had seen photos of liberated prisoners-of-war that hadn’t made his stomach twist this painfully.

“Thank you,” Nico rasped. His eyes darted nervously around the group, and Jason couldn’t help but notice the way they lingered on him for a long moment before looking away again. “I’d given up hope.”

“You knew about the two camps all along,” Percy said. “You could have told me who I was the first day I arrived at Camp Jupiter, but you didn’t.”

Jason didn’t bring up that Nico hadn’t said anything to him either. _About Camp Jupiter. About knowing who he was. About having searched for him. It seemed like terrible timing to give him trouble about it now, when he looked like he could barely hold his head up._

“Percy, I’m sorry. I discovered Camp Jupiter,” Nico slumped against the helm in a long pause. “A while back. My dad told me the gods had kept the camps separate for centuries and that I couldn’t tell anyone. The time wasn’t right...” He doubled over in a fit of coughing.

Jason started to rise from his seat and stopped before his butt had made it two inches off the bench. _What did he think he was doing? He wasn’t someone who should be rushing to Nico’s side. Was he?_

Hazel held Nico’s shoulders until he could stand again.

Nico continued. “I think he wanted me to know about both camps so I’d understand how important this quest was, and so I’d search for the Doors of Death. Otherwise, I’m sure the gods would’ve wiped my memory of the Roman demigods just like they normally do. Because I’m not really part of either camp, I could remain neutral.”

The air turned electric-- literally, as Jason started throwing off sparks. _He couldn’t explain why he was so agitated. The idea of the gods wiping Nico’s memories of New Rome had just... set him off somehow._

“Did you find the doors?” Percy asked.

Nico nodded. “I was a fool. I thought I could go anywhere in the Underworld, but I walked right into Gaea’s trap. I might as well have tried running from a black hole.”

“Um...” Frank chewed his lip. “What kind of black hole are you talking about?”

Nico started to speak, but whatever he needed to say must have been too terrifying. He turned to Hazel.

She put her hand on her brother’s arm. “Nico told me that the Doors of Death have two sides -- one in the mortal world, one in the Underworld. The mortal side of the portal is in Greece. It’s heavily guarded by Gaea’s forces. That’s where they brought Nico back into the upper world. Then they transported him to Rome.”

Piper must’ve been nervous, because her cornucopia spit out a cheeseburger. “Where exactly in Greece is this doorway?”

Nico took a rattling breath. “The House of Hades. It’s an underground temple in Epirus. I can mark it on a map, but-- but the mortal side of the portal isn’t the problem. In the Underworld, the Doors of Death are in... in...”

Jason gripped the edge of the bench, his knuckles going white. _It was becoming impossible to stay seated. To not go to the side of the fragile-looking boy that had known him but kept silent. A black hole. An inescapable part of the Underworld where even the son of Hades couldn’t go. Shouldn’t go. But he had, hadn’t he?_

“Tartarus,” Percy guessed. “The deepest part of the Underworld.”

Nico nodded. “They pulled me into the pit. The things I saw down there...” His voice broke.

Jason smelled a hint of wood smoke where his electricity was singing the bench, and Piper and Percy were leaning away from him now. 

Hazel pursed her lips. “No mortal has ever been to Tartarus,” She explained. “At least, no one has ever gone in and returned alive. It’s the maximum-security prison of Hades, where the old Titans and the other enemies of the gods are bound. It’s where all monsters go when they die on the Earth. It’s... well, no one knows exactly what it’s like.”

Her eyes drifted to her brother. _No one except Nico._

Hazel handed him his black sword, and Nico leaned on it like it was an old man’s cane. “Now I understand why Hades hasn’t been able to close the doors,” he said. “Even the gods don’t go into Tartarus. Even the god of death, Thanatos himself, wouldn’t go near that place.”

Leo glanced over from the wheel. “So let me guess. We’ll have to go there.”

Nico shook his head. “It’s impossible. I’m the son of Hades, and even I barely survived. Gaea’s forces overwhelmed me instantly. They’re so powerful down there... no demigod would stand a chance. I almost went insane.”

Nico’s eyes looked like shattered glass. Jason wondered if anything would ever make him whole again. _Restore the intense focus he had seen there once. The hope. There had been hope once. In the brief minute when he had introduced himself to Jason at Camp Half-Blood. The hope he had given up? Surely not. He was talking about the hope of being rescued. And they had rescued him. Surely he had hope again. If they could just talk privately, maybe Jason could find out what had..._

“Then we’ll sail for Epirus,” Percy said. “We’ll just close the gates on this side.”

“I wish it were that easy,” Nico said. “The doors would have to be controlled on both sides to be closed. It’s like a double seal. Maybe, just maybe, all seven of you working together could defeat Gaea’s forces on the mortal side, at the House of Hades. But unless you had a team fighting simultaneously on the Tartarus side, a team powerful enough to defeat a legion of monsters in their home territory--”

“There has to be a way,” Jason said. _Nico couldn’t have gone through all of that for nothing. He had to make it worthwhile._


	19. House of Hades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mix of altered canon scenes and original ones. One installment to go now. 
> 
> I feel like the Psyche comparison the book used makes a slightly better parallel now referencing a requited relationship and a broken trust that actually existed to start with in a non one-sided fashion? Plus, it makes more sense to have the two people being discussed present if Cupid's screwing with you, maybe that's just me though.

Nico had regained some of his strength, but he was still too thin. The aviator’s jacket engulfed him more than it had back at Camp Half-Blood and his black jeans and t-shirt hung off his skeletal frame. His skin was still too pale. The olive complexion had returned, but held a greenish tint that was worrying. His black hair hung long and untrimmed, making his pale features more striking by contrast.

Jason stood in the doorway to the bunk room on the Argo II that Hazel had finally talked Nico into using. He’d just gotten off sentry duty, and rather than go straight to his own bed, he had stopped by here, and heard the muffled moans of Nico tossing and turning in his sleep. He’d opened the door before giving it much thought, and now he stood there, feeling like an intruder, but unable to turn around leave. Nico was clearly caught in nightmares, worse than the normal for demigods, and Jason wondered if Tartarus was the cause.

There was a whimper of pain and panic from the figure on the bed, and Jason was across the room, the door swinging shut behind him before he thought about it.

He took one of Nico’s hands in his, lacing the fingers automatically. As reflexive a motion as translating Latin. _Reflexive. Natural. Why had Nico pretended not to know him? Just because Juno had taken his memory? Or had he done something to deserve the distance that he seemed to instinctively fight against. Lupa would have told him to act on his instincts and figure out the details later. That’s what I’m doing, isn’t it? I don’t have the right..._

Jason sat on the floor, hand still intertwined with Nico’s. Instinct had told him to sit on the bed, to wait until Nico woke up and saw him there. Knew he was safe.  _He didn’t know if that was something he should be doing. He was almost certain he shouldn’t be in here. Definitely not uninvited like this._ Jason leaned his head against the side of the bed, taking deep breaths and savoring the fact that Nico was no longer tossing in his sleep, and the panicked noises had stopped. He still looked tormented, but it had been lessened somehow. _If Jason’s being there had anything to do with it, he wasn’t going to move. He’d take the consequences._

It didn’t hurt that sitting this close was alleviating some of his own nervous energy that had him literally sparking over the tiniest annoyances. His stomach relaxed some, and he closed his eyes, listening to the sound of Nico Di Angelo breathing in and out.

* * *

 Jason woke up with his head pressed uncomfortably against the wooden side boards of a bed. He pulled away, already feeling the red indent in his face from having fallen asleep in such a weird spot. There was a rustling noise behind him, and he turned to see Nico Di Angelo shrugging on his  trademark aviator’s jacket.

“Morning.”

“I don’t know what you think you were doing in here,” Nico grumbled. “But I’d appreciate you not doing it again.”

“What?”

“I don’t like being touched.”

 _Like Hades he didn’t! He was always touching Hazel! Leaning on her. Hugs and tender kisses to the forehead... Sibling affection._ Jason tried to order his brain.  _He wasn’t awake enough to do this. He’d known last night that he’d been intruding. He knew there must have been more than just acquaintanceship between Nico and him. You didn’t scare the entire Legion command when a Legionnaire went missing if you just kind of knew each other._

“We need to talk Nico.”

“What on Earth would we talk about, Grace?” Nico turned his back on Jason. “I don’t have any new information for the quest.”

“About us.”

Nico scoffed. “What us? I’m just here to lead you to the Doors of Death. Nothing else to discuss.”

“You knew me, in New Rome.”

Nico ran a hand through his hair and shivered despite the jacket he wore. Jason thought he might have heard him curse under his breath.

“Dakota said you were looking for me when I went missing.”

“Dakota needs to keep his big mouth shut.” _There was a fondness in the complaint that Nico’s grumbling didn’t disguise._

The hinted familiarity with the Centurion Jason knew to be his own close friend brought a smile to his face. “Hazel said we were close. She won’t tell me any details, but she said that much.”

“That was a long time ago.”

“Not _**that**_ long ago,” Jason took a deep breath. “Why are you avoiding me? Did I do something wrong? Did I screw up our friendship somehow?”

“You don’t remember me.”

“No,” Jason agreed. “I don’t know why, or if I’ll ever get those memories back, so I’m asking you about it.”

“I’m,” Nico shook his head. “I can’t do that.”

“You can’t talk to me about it?”

“Maybe Juno erased those memories for a good reason, Grace. Trying to go against the gods never ends well. Just appreciate the chance to start over. A lot of people would kill for that opportunity.”

“I’m not ‘a lot of people.’”

“Maybe you should try it. For your own sake.” Nico left the room.

Jason knew if he followed, he’d find the demigod hiding in the foremast again, no space to spare for anyone else to be able to get near him.

* * *

 “Hey, man...” Jason stepped toward him, but Nico waved him off. Jason clenched his fist at his side. _Why couldn’t Nico trust him? He was certain now. They had been friends in New Rome. What had happened?_

At Nico’s feet, the grass turned brown and wilted. The dead patch spread outward, as if poison were seeping from the soles of his shoes.

“Ah...” Favonius nodded sympathetically. “I don’t blame you for being nervous, Nico Di Angelo. Do you know how I ended up serving Cupid?”

“I don’t serve anyone,” Nico muttered. “Especially not Cupid.”

Favonius continued as if he hadn’t heard. “I fell in love with a mortal named Hyacinthus. He was quite extraordinary.”

“Who..?” Jason’s brain was still fuzzy from his wind trip, so it took him a second to process what the wind god was saying.

“Jason Grace.” Favonius arched an eyebrow. “I fell in love with a dude. Does that shock you?”

_Honestly, Jason tried not to think about the details of godly love lives, no matter who they fell in love with. After all, his dad, Jupiter, wasn’t exactly a model of good behavior. He didn’t want to emulate that kind of godly love in any way. But two men falling in love? That hadn’t been unusual in New Rome. Between the Roman culture and being in California, it just wasn’t something he ever felt the need to give much thought. You fell in love with a person, not a gender, right?_

“Not really. So... Cupid struck you with his arrow, and you fell in love.”

* * *

 “SO.”

The voice rushed past Jason’s ear like a bullet. When he turned, no one was there.

“YOU COME TO CLAIM THE SCEPTER.”

Nico stood at his back, and Jason felt more comfortable for the familiar presence there. _And that was just it. For all that Nico avoided him. Refused to talk to him. _He just knew he could trust Nico to guard his back._ There was something familiar and comforting about being near him. And...  **This was not the time to be thinking about that.**_

“Cupid,” Jason called, “Where are you?”

The voice laughed. It definitely didn’t sound like a cute baby angel’s. It sounded deep and rich, but also threatening -- like a tremor before a major earthquake.

“WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT ME,” CupId answered. “AS LOVE ALWAYS IS.”

Something slammed into Jason and hurled him across the street. He toppled down a set of steps and sprawled on the floor of an excavated Roman basement.

“I WOULD THINK YOU’D KNOW BETTER, JASON GRACE.” Cupid’s voice whirled around him. “YOU’VE FOUND TRUE LOVE, AFTER ALL. OR DO YOU STILL DOUBT YOURSELF?”

_True love? Piper? He cared a lot for Piper, but was that true love? When it was based on him being taken from his home, his memories erased and false ones put in it’s place? None of that was Piper’s fault, but neither of them had chosen it. Neither of them had had a choice in forming the relationship. Could that become true love? When it started with such a huge lie? Of course he doubted himself. His feelings for Piper. Who wouldn’t?_

Nico scrambled down the steps as Jason rolled to face upward with a groan. Nico’s eyes were panicked, searching Jason for injury. _He cares. So why has he been pushing me away?_  "You okay?“

Jason accepted his hand and got to his feet. "Yeah. Just sucker punched.”

“OH, DID YOU EXPECT ME TO PLAY FAIR?” Cupid laughed. “I AM THE GOD OF LOVE. I AM NEVER FAIR.”

This time, Jason’s senses were on high alert. He felt the air ripple just as an arrow materialized, racing toward Nico’s chest.

Jason intercepted it with his sword and deflected it sideways. The arrow exploded against the nearest wall, peppering them with limestone shrapnel.

They ran up the steps. Jason pulled Nico to one side as another gust of wind toppled a column that would have crushed him flat.

“Is this guy Love or Death?” Jason growled as he pulled Nico back against the wall beside him.

“ASK YOUR FRIENDS,” Cupid said. “FRANK, HAZEL, AND PERCY MET MY COUNTERPART, THANATOS. WE ARE NOT SO DIFFERENT, EXCEPT DEATH IS SOMETIMES KINDER.”

“We just want the scepter!” Nico shouted, pushing away from the wall and placing himself between the disembodied voice and Jason. _Was he focusing on something meaningless, or was Nico trying to protect him?_ “We’re trying to stop Gaea. Are you on the gods’ side or not?”

A second arrow hit the ground between Nico’s feet and glowed white-hot. Nico stumbled back as the arrow burst into a geyser of flame. Jason caught his shoulders before he could fall, and helped Nico steady himself.

“LOVE IS ON EVERY SIDE,” Cupid said. “AND NO ONE’S SIDE. DON’T ASK WHAT LOVE CAN DO FOR YOU...”

“Great,” Jason said. “Now he’s spouting greeting card messages.” Movement behind him: Jason spun, slicing his sword through the air. His blade bit into something solid. He heard a grunt and he swung again, but the invisible god was gone. On the paving stones, a trail of golden ichor shimmered – the blood of the gods.

“VERY GOOD, JASON,” Cupid said. “AT LEAST YOU CAN SENSE MY PRESENCE. EVEN A GLANCING HIT AT TRUE LOVE IS MORE THAN MOST HEROES MANAGE.”

“So now I get the scepter?” Jason asked.

Cupid laughed. “UNFORTUNATELY, YOU COULD NOT WIELD IT. ONLY A CHILD OF THE UNDERWORLD CAN SUMMON THE DEAD LEGIONS. AND ONLY AN OFFICER OF ROME CAN LEAD THEM.”

“But...” Jason wavered. _He was an officer. He was Praetor. Then he remembered all his second thoughts about where he belonged. In New Rome, he’d offered to give up his position to Percy Jackson. He questioned if his feelings for Piper counted because they were based on false memories from Juno. He couldn’t even figure out what had gone wrong in his friendship with Nico, something that had apparently been part of his life for years turned to a situation where Nico could barely stand to be around him. Did that make him unworthy to lead a legion of Roman ghosts? --_ _He decided to face that problem when the time came._

“Just leave that to us,” He said. “Nico can summon--”

The third arrow zipped by Jason’s shoulder. He couldn’t stop it in time. Nico gasped as it sunk into his sword arm.

“Nico!”

The son of Hades stumbled. The arrow dissolved, leaving no blood and no visible wound, but Nico’s face was tight with rage and pain. Jason moved back to his side, but Nico winced away and didn’t let him check the place where he’d been shot.

“Enough games!” Nico shouted. “Show yourself!”

“IT IS A COSTLY THING,” Cupid said. “LOOKING ON THE TRUE FACE OF LOVE.“

Another column toppled. Jason scrambled out of its way as Nico moved away in the opposite direction.

“MY WIFE PSYCHE LEARNED THAT LESSON,” Cupid said. “SHE WAS BROUGHT HERE EONS AGO, WHEN THIS WAS THE SITE OF MY PALACE. WE MET ONLY IN THE DARK. SHE WAS WARNED TO NEVER LOOK UPON ME, AND YET SHE COULD NOT STAND THE MYSTERY. SHE FEARED I WAS A MONSTER. ONE NIGHT, SHE LIT A CANDLE AND BEHELD MY FACE AS I SLEPT.”

"Were you that ugly?” Jason thought he had zeroed in on Cupid’s voice --at the edge of the amphitheater about twenty yards away-- but he wanted to make sure.

The god laughed. “I WAS TOO HANDSOME, I’M AFRAID. A MORTAL CANNOT GAZE UPON THE TRUE APPEARANCE OF A GOD WITHOUT SUFFERING CONSEQUENCES. MY MOTHER, APHRODITE, CURSED PSYCHE FOR HER  **DISTRUST**.”

Nico stumbled over some of the rubble, momentarily distracting Jason. His expression was almost as if he’d been slapped.

”MY POOR LOVER WAS TORMENTED, FORCED INTO EXILE, GIVEN HORRIBLE TASKS TO PROVE HER WORTH. SHE WAS EVEN SENT TO THE UNDERWORLD ON A QUEST TO SHOW HER DEDICATION. SHE EARNED HER WAY BACK TO MY SIDE, BUT SHE SUFFERED GREATLY.”

 _‘Now I’ve got you,’_ Jason thought.

He thrust his sword in the sky and thunder shook the valley. Lightning blasted a crater where the voice had been speaking.

Silence. Jason was just thinking, ‘ _Dang, it actually worked,’_ when an invisible force knocked him to the ground. His sword skittered across the road.

“A GOOD TRY,” Cupid said, his voice already distant. “BUT LOVE CANNOT BE PINNED DOWN SO EASILY.”

Next to him, a wall collapsed. Jason barely managed to roll aside.

“Stop it!” Nico yelled. “It’s me you want. Leave him alone!”

Jason’s ears rang. He was dizzy from getting smacked around. His mouth tasted like limestone dust. He didn’t understand why Nico would try to make himself the main target, but Cupid seemed game for it. He tried to gather his wits again and get his feet under him. _He wasn’t leaving Nico to face a god alone._

“POOR NICO DI ANGELO.” The god’s voice was tinged with disappointment. “DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT, MUCH LESS WHAT I WANT? MY BELOVED PSYCHE RISKED EVERYTHING IN THE NAME OF LOVE. IT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO ATONE FOR HER LACK OF FAITH, AND YOU -- WHAT HAVE YOU RISKED IN MY NAME?”

“I’ve been to Tartarus and back,” Nico snarled. “You don’t scare me.”

“I SCARE YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. FACE ME. BE HONEST.”

Jason pulled himself up. _He couldn’t let anything happen to Nico. Even if the friendship was ruined, it had mattered once. It had mattered enough that Nico was still trying to protect him, even now. Even though he couldn’t stand to be around him._

All around Nico, the ground shifted. The grass withered, and the stones cracked as if something was moving in the earth beneath, trying to push its way through.

“Give us Diocletian’s scepter,” Nico said. “We don’t have time for games.”

“GAMES?” Cupid struck, slapping Nico sideways into a granite pedestal. “LOVE IS NO GAME! IT IS NO FLOWERY SOFTNESS! IT IS HARD WORK -- A QUEST THAT NEVER ENDS. IT DEMANDS EVERYTHING FROM YOU -- ESPECIALLY THE TRUTH. ONLY THEN DOES IT YIELD REWARDS.”

Jason retrieved his sword. _If this invisible guy was Love, Jason was beginning to think Love was overrated. He liked Piper’s version better – considerate, kind, and beautiful. That version of love he could understand. Cupid seemed more like a thug, an enforcer._

“Nico,” He called. “What does this guy want from you?”

“TELL HIM, NICO DI ANGELO,” Cupid said. “TELL HIM YOU ARE A COWARD, AFRAID OF YOURSELF AND YOUR FEELINGS. TELL HIM THE REAL REASON YOU RAN FROM CAMP HALF-BLOOD, ABANDONED THE SEARCH FOR CAMP JUPITER’S PRAETOR, AND WHY YOU ARE ALONE NOW.”

Nico let loose a guttural scream. The ground at his feet split open and skeletons crawled forth -- dead Romans with missing hands and caved-in skulls, cracked ribs, and jaws unhinged. Some were dressed in the remnants of togas. Others had glinting pieces of armor hanging off their chests.

“WILL YOU HIDE AMONG THE DEAD, AS YOU ALWAYS DO?” Cupid taunted.

Waves of darkness rolled off the son of Hades. When they hit Jason, he almost lost consciousness -- overwhelmed by hatred and fear and shame...

Images flashed through his mind. He saw Nico and his sister on a snowy cliff in Maine, Percy Jackson protecting them from a manticore. Percy’s sword gleamed in the dark. He’d been the first demigod Nico had ever seen in action.

Later, at Camp Half-Blood, Percy took Nico by the arm, promising to keep his sister Bianca safe.

Nico believed him. Nico looked into his sea-green eyes and thought, _How can he possibly fail? This is_ _a real hero._ He was Nico’s favorite game, Mythomagic, brought to life.

Jason saw the moment when Percy returned and told Nico that Bianca was dead. Nico had screamed and called him a liar. He’d felt betrayed, but still... When the skeleton warriors attacked, he couldn’t let them harm Percy. Nico had called on the earth to swallow them up, and then he’d run away -- terrified of his own powers, and his own emotions.

And then he’d met Jason. Who’d been kind and patient. Who hadn’t shrunk back from his powers, but accepted them. Accepted Nico. He saw himself bringing Nico back to New Rome. Making a home for him there. Slowly earning his friendship and trust.

He saw Nico, on dozens of trips outside Camp Jupiter that hadn’t been for Pluto, or for himself. Trips that had been to help Percy. To help Camp Half-Blood.

He saw the aftermath of the Titan War in the Greek Camp. How shunned Nico had felt. He saw him returning to Camp Jupiter, and realizing it was home --that Jason was his home-- for the first time.

He lived the moment when Nico had thought he was dead, and their reunion in Dakota’s barrack. He saw Nico sitting over him, watching him sleep, and finally realizing how his feelings had changed. He saw the first time he told Nico how he felt, and Nico reciprocated.

Jason saw a dozen more scenes from Nico’s point of view... The time they had spent together --finally together in the best sense of the word-- in Camp Jupiter... And they left him stunned, unable to move or speak.

He saw the moment when Nico learned he was missing from Camp Jupiter, felt the loss. And he saw when Nico found him again, and felt his heart shatter all over again when Jason looked at him with no idea who he was, Piper smiling at his side. Both of them oblivious.

Meanwhile, Nico’s Roman skeletons surged forward and grappled with something invisible. The god struggled, flinging the dead aside, breaking off ribs and skulls, but the skeletons kept coming, pinning the god’s arms.

“INTERESTING!” Cupid said. “DO YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH, AFTER ALL?”

“I left Camp Half-Blood because of love,” Nico said. “Annabeth...” He shook his head as if dismissing an old habit. “No, Percy.., He--”

“STILL HIDING,” Cupid said, smashing another skeleton to pieces. “YOU DO NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH”

“Nico,” Jason managed to say. “It’s okay. I know.”

Nico glanced over, pain and misery washing across his face.

“No, you don’t,” He said. “There’s no way you can understand.”

“AND SO YOU RUN AWAY AGAIN,” Cupid chided. “FROM YOUR FRIENDS, FROM YOUR LOVE, FROM YOURSELF.”

“I left because I don’t belong! I’ll never belong! They’re all better off without me! Whatever I had was a mistake. I’m not-- I can’t have things like that!”

The skeletons had Cupid pinned now, but the invisible god laughed so cruelly that Jason wanted to summon another bolt of lightning. Unfortunately, he doubted he had the strength.

“Leave him alone, Cupid,” Jason croaked. “This isn’t...”

His voice failed. _He wanted to say it wasn’t Cupid’s business, but he realized this was **exactly** Cupid’s business._

The story of Psyche finally made sense to him-- why a mortal girl would be so afraid. Why she would risk breaking the rules to look the god of love in the face, because she feared he might be a monster.

Psyche had been right. Cupid _was_ a monster. Love was the most savage monster of all.

Nico’s voice was like broken glass. “I-- I wasn’t in love with Percy. I haven’t been for a long time.”

“It was me,“ Jason said. "That’s why you’ve been avoiding me. You thought I--” _You thought I abandoned you. That I was better off... Happier without you. You didn’t trust me to fall in love with you a second time. To love you without the history between us... And I did nothing to disprove it._

All the fight and denial seemed to go out of Nico at once. The darkness subsided. The Roman dead collapsed into bones and crumbled to dust.

“I hated myself,” Nico said.

Cupid became visible -- a lean, muscular young man with snowy white wings, straight black hair, a simple white frock and jeans. The bow and quiver slung over his shoulder were no toys -- they were weapons of war. His eyes were as red as blood, as if every Valentine in the world had been squeezed dry, distilled into one poisonous mixture. His face was handsome, but also harsh -- as difficult to look at as a spotlight. He watched Nico with satisfaction, as if he’d identified the exact spot for his next arrow to make a clean kill.

“I was in love with Jason,” Nico spat. “That’s the truth. That’s the big secret.” He glared at Cupid. “Happy now?”

For the first time, Cupid’s gaze seemed sympathetic. “Oh, I wouldn’t say Love always makes you happy.” His voice sounded smaller, much more human. “Sometimes it makes you incredibly sad. But at least you’ve faced it now. That’s the only way to conquer me.” Cupid dissolved into the wind.

On the ground where he’d stood, lay an ivory staff three feet long, topped with a dark globe of polished marble about the size of a baseball, nestled on the backs of three gold Roman eagles. The scepter of Diocletian.

Nico knelt and picked it up.

“Nico, I--”

Nico scowled. “Don’t.”

“We should talk about this. I--”

“I don’t feel that way anymore,” Nico muttered. “I mean... I’ve moved on. You have too. I don’t intend to get in your way.”

His voice cracked, and Jason could tell the guy was about to get teary-eyed. _His feelings hadn’t changed from Camp Jupiter. Jason felt sure of it.  He couldn’t imagine what it had been like for Nico all those months, knowing the person you loved was alive but had no idea who you were. Keeping the secret to protect both camps of demigods, and isolating himself from the only home he had in order to not risk leaking his knowledge to the Romans._

“Nico,” He said gently. “I don’t think it’s that simple...”

“The mission,” Nico looked up. “We should get back to the ship.”

“Yeah. I can fly us--”

“No,” Nico announced. “This time we’re shadow traveling. I’ve had enough of the winds for a while.”

* * *

 A rustling sound made him turn. Nico Di Angelo stood in the shadow of the nearest column of Auster’s Palace. He’d shed his jacket. Now he just wore his black t-shirt and black jeans. His sword and the scepter of Diocletian hung on either side of his belt.

Days in the hot sun hadn’t tanned his skin, but the pale olive was slowly starting to look healthier, less green. His dark hair fell over his eyes. His face was still gaunt, but he was definitely in better shape than when they’d left Croatia. He had regained enough weight not to look starved. His arms were taut with familiar muscles, as if he’d spent the past week sword fighting. For all Jason knew, he’d been slipping off to practice raising spirits with Diocletian’s scepter, then sparring with them. With more of his memories back, it actually seemed like a reasonable possibility, and far less creepy than he would’ve found it before so many of his memories returned. Sparring days against Nico’s skeletons in the Legion’s training field had actually been something most Centurions looked forward to, Octavian being the exception. Sparring days against Nico had been something he had once looked forward to.

“Any word from the king?” Nico asked.

Jason shook his head. “Every day, he calls for me later and later.”

“We need to leave,” Nico said. “Soon.”

Jason had been having the same feeling, but hearing Nico say it made him even edgier. “You sense something?”

“Percy and Annabeth are close to the Doors,” Nico said. “They’ll need us if they’re going to make it through alive.”

“All right,” Jason said. “But if we can’t repair the ship--”

“I promised I’d lead you to the House of Hades,” Nico said. “One way or another, I will.”

Jason had a flash of memory of Nico collapsing in his Roman Insula apartment after shadow traveling just himself from China.

“You can’t shadow travel with all of us. And it will take all of us to reach the Doors of Death.” The orb at the end of Diocletian’s scepter glowed purple. Over the past week, it seemed to have aligned itself to Nico’s moods. Jason wasn’t sure that was a good thing. It worried him that Nico was aligning so closely with something that put him closer to the dead than the living. He’d spent years ensuring Nico knew he could balance the two sides of his life instead of burying himself in one while rejecting the other.

“Then you’ve got to convince the king of the South Wind to help.” Nico’s voice seethed with anger. “I didn’t come all this way to...”

“Look, Nico,” he said, “You and I need to talk about, you know, what happened in Croatia. I know it’s confusing--”

“You’re the only one who’s confused, Grace. I’ve moved on.”

“I don’t believe that.” Jason crossed his arms over his chest, “And I don’t think you do either. Maybe take a risk that things don’t just end because the gods say so. It’s better than hiding and pretending there’s nothing--”

The floor cracked between them. The crevice hissed. The air around Nico shimmered with spectral light.

“Hiding?” Nico’s voice was deadly quiet.

Jason’s fingers itched to draw his sword. He didn’t want to fight Nico, but he wasn’t the type to back down from a challenge either. Plus, he was starting to realize that Nico Di Angelo now --as pale and gaunt as he looked-- might be even stronger than the Nico he remembered.

Nevertheless, he held Nico’s gaze. “Yes, hiding. You’ve run away from both camps. You’re so afraid you’ll get rejected that you won’t even try. Maybe it’s time you come out of the shadows.” Just when the tension became unbearable, Nico dropped his eyes. The fissure closed in the balcony floor. The ghostly light faded.

“I’m going to honor my promise,” Nico said, not much louder than a whisper. “I’ll take you to Epirus. I’ll help you close the Doors of Death. Then that’s it. I’m leaving-- forever." 

Behind them, the doors of the throne room blasted open with a gust of scorching air. A disembodied voice said, "Lord Auster will see you now”

Jason glanced back to the door in annoyance. _What terrible timing. That was absolutely not a promise he intended to let Nico keep._ He turned to tell Nico to wait for him, that they’d discuss that absurd promise after the meeting, but Nico had disappeared -- melting back into the darkness.


	20. We Need to Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrapping things up. –- “You never called me ‘Grace’ before.”

Jason passed Percy as walked down to where Nico was prepping the Athena Parthenos for shadow travel. It was strange, seeing the forty foot tall statue trailing straps that Nico now pulled over his shoulders like some sort of harness.

Jason was only a couple of feet away when he finally spoke, “Are you certain about this?”

“Are you questioning my ability?”

“No,” Jason said defensively, then he took a deep breath and continued. “And yes. You must have told me a hundred times that just shadow traveling yourself was unpredictable and dangerous to do too frequently or over long distances. This? This is unlike anything you’ve done before.”

“I’m different since I came back from Tartarus,“ Nico’s eyes sparkled with a familiar intensity, but there was something off with it. It lacked the joy or hope Jason used to see there. “I’ll deliver the statue.”

“I just,” _The words were painfully familiar. They hurt to think. They hurt to say._ “I don’t want to lose you. I don't want you to die.”

“I’m not your responsibility anymore, Grace.”

He felt like he’d been stabbed in the heart. “You never called me ‘Grace’ before. Not even as a joke.”

“What are you talking about?” Nico looked away as if he’d been caught at some secret game he’d been playing. “I’ve been calling you ‘Grace’ since we met at Camp Half-Blood.”

He shifted uneasily, wanting to reach out, and not sure if he could. _If something doesn’t change, this might be the last time I see him._ He moved across the intervening space, and took one of Nico’s hands in his, running a thumb over the familiar scars that peppered Nico’s knuckles. “My **_name_** is _**Jason**_.”

“Not to me,” Nico whispered. He didn’t look up to meet Jason’s eyes, but he didn’t pull his hand away either. “ _ **Jason**_ is the boy that brought me to Camp Jupiter. The one I knew for years. That I--” He shook his head, refusing to repeat the confession from Croatia. “You’re not the same person, _**Grace**_.”

It was Jason that released Nico’s hand.

_He couldn’t deny that he’d changed. Losing his memories and having them replaced with the false ones from Juno. Spending all those months with Piper, Leo, and Camp Half-Blood. He wasn’t the same person he’d been in Camp Jupiter, and as muddled as the beginning of their relationship made matters, he couldn’t deny that he had feelings for Piper now. He just wasn't sure of the depth of them. Maybe Nico was right. Maybe he was the only one who was confused, but he wasn’t ready to give up the feelings he’d just gotten back just because he was confused. The feelings had never really been gone, just the memories that gave them context. He hadn’t had any time to deal with and process what he’d learned --what he’d remembered-- in Croatia._

“I’m not done talking about this.”

“Grace...”

“Nico.” He spoke sharply, retreading old words they’d shared. “We have unfinished business. I’ll see you back at Camp Half-Blood to celebrate a victory, or I’ll drag you there myself.”

Nico jerked and looked up at him with wide eyes, and there it was, the same flash of emotion he’d seen at Camp Half-Blood before Nico had covered it up. Except this time there was no cover, no shutting down. The mixture of pain with a shred of hope was raw and open. “You can’t do this to me.” Nico whispered, teeth clenched. “I can’t do that.”

“Unfinished business, Nico. I’m holding you to that.”

Nico’s entire body shuddered and he turned away, hunching his shoulders as Reyna and Hedge crested the rise separating them from the Argo II. “I haven’t agreed to anything.”

Reyna slapped Jason’s shoulder as she came up even to them, “We will succeed. Don’t worry, Grace.”

Jason restrained the urge to grimace at the use of his surname. It wasn’t Reyna calling him by it that bothered him.

* * *

 

Jason walked down the streets of New Rome. He wore a toga over his purple t-shirt and jeans, a weight that was becoming more familiar and more frequent a part of his wardrobe than he had ever expected it to be.

“Hey Pontifex!” Jason stopped and turned around as someone stepped out of the door of one of the cafes that lined the street leading to the Senate. Purple shirt, Centurion’s badge, permanently kool-aid-stained lips. Dakota.

“Centurion.” The greeting was uneasy. He’d been nervous to talk to his old friend since returning to New Rome. Their broken first reunion from before he and the seven traveled to the Ancient Lands still weighed heavily on him.

“Congratulations on the new position Jason,” Dakota’s expression was warm, but nervous. “It looks good on you.”

“Thanks Dakota.”

“Listen, about before,” He rubbed the back of his neck uneasily as he spoke. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so harsh with you. It was unfair of me...”

Jason managed a smile, and clapped his friend on the shoulder. “It’s okay. I can’t imagine how I would have reacted if the situation was reversed.”

A wide smile spread across Dakota’s face, and he returned he gesture, shaking Jason’s shoulder lightly as he did so. “With a lot more patience than me, I’m sure. It’s **_good_** to see you again.”

“Same.” Jason felt a warmth spreading out from where there used to be a knot in the pit of his stomach. “It’s been too long.”

“How long are you in New Rome? I know your new duties have you bouncing between here and Camp Half-Blood.”

“At least until the end of the week. Depends on how construction on Kymopoleia’s temple goes. How have you been? How’s Fifth Cohort?”

“Pretty much back to normal. I still can’t believe Zhang made Praetor before I did. I guess those three weeks is the most I’m going to see of the inside of the Praetor’s Villa.”

Jason’s smile wavered the mention, but he powered through. This wasn’t the first, nor was it going to be the last time someone in New Rome casually referred to his previous relationship with Nico. It had been such a normal part of the landscape, they didn’t think about mentioning it. “It was only two and a half weeks.”

“I had to haul your butt into bed every night, I get to round up.” Dakota winced as he realized the landmine he’d brought up, but didn’t elaborate on it. “So how’s things with the girlfriend? Piper was it? She was cute.”

“Over.” Jason shook his head. “The circumstances were too much. It wasn’t good, for either of us.”

Dakota’s face fell, “Damn, I’m sorry. I’m screwing this up six ways from Sunday.”

“No. You’re not,” Jason assured. “It’s just a mess.”

“Listen,” Dakota said. “Since you’re back in town, have dinner with me tonight. Outside the mess hall. There’s a new place called Hannah’s Gourmet. We’ve known each other since we were bitty, it seems weird that I don’t know about months of your life. I want you to tell me everything that happened.”

Jason smiled at that. “Deal, but only if you do the same. I have no idea what happened to you while I was gone either. That seems wrong.”

Dakota flashed a mischievous smile, “Would you believe I finally made out with Reyna?”

“Not if Venus showed up herself.” Jason smirked. “You never had a chance with her.”

“You’re the amnesiac.” Dakota grinned back, “It was worth a try. But seriously, you remember Gina, right?”

“Of course.”

“Ended up meeting up with her at a painting class outside the university. We’re kind of a thing now. It’s still early, but y’know... Might work out.”

“That’s great, Dakota.”

“Okay,” The Centurion sighed. “I’ve actually got to get down to the field. Cohort to run drills on. You know how it is. But I’ll see you tonight.” He held out a hand in a fist. “You give me a yell if you need anything. Have any questions. Got it?”

“Always.” Jason smiled and bumped fists with Dakota.

Dakota had gotten six feet away before Jason’s tentative voice made him freeze in his tracks, “Do you know if Nico’s here?”

Dakota turned, the apology already clear on his face, “No. Haven’t seen Di Angelo in weeks. He pops in occasionally, reports in to the Praetors, says hi to Hazel and I, checks up on the Fifth, but he’s just not here much.”

Jason nodded even as he felt his shoulders slump in disappointment, “Thanks.”

“Jason,” Dakota stopped him before he could turn back towards Temple Hill. “It’s not new. He’s been like that since you first disappeared back that October. He comes here to rest occasionally, but he doesn’t stay more than a night or two. I think he keeps the Praetors updated out of habit. It’s a good thing, otherwise we might not have known he was missing too long when you came through on that ship. New Rome’s still where he returns to. Hazel’s here. He’ll be by eventually.”

“You’ll let me know if..?”

“I’ll send a runner the moment he shows up if you want me to.” Dakota gave him a sad smile, “We miss him too, Jason. I haven’t had a really good spar with that scrawny jerk in months. He’s part of New Rome. Maybe you should remind him of that.”

* * *

 

Jason stood in the Insula suite that had been assigned to the Ambassador of Pluto years ago. There was a thin layer of dust on most of the hard surfaces, confirming what Dakota had said about how infrequently Nico used the place anymore.

The low table that ran under a long picture window on one side of the room boasted a few trinkets, proof that Nico still considered the room to be his. Jason ran his fingers over the surfaces of several of the items, leaving lines in the dust.

The carefully folded remains of an abused and monster-slashed Legionnaire sleeping bag. Once the property of a son of Mercury, it was the first thing Jason had ever given Nico.

A green floppy hat, now slightly moth eaten, that Jason still remembered the first time he had heard the name of it’s original owner, sitting on the ground in a cemetery beside a cracked fountain that had been filled with soda and french fries.

A delicately wrought silver toga pin and cloak clasp set, gifts from the Legion Centurions for the formal robes of the Ambassador of Pluto at his first Saturnalia celebration.

Jason’s old centurion badge, given to Nico shortly after they had started dating.

A silver Mythomagic figure of Hades stood next to another Mythomagic figure, probably the last remains of Nico’s old collection. The gold-plated special edition Zeus statue had taken months of calls to dozens of pawn shops and tabletop gaming stores to track down, but it had been worth it for the look on Nico’s face.

When he came to a hardcover book, he stopped, picking up and turning it over in his hands. ‘Diocletian and the Roman Recovery’ by Stephen Williams. It was a first edition of the original 1985 printing. His favorite book, about his favorite Roman strategist. 

Jason took the book with him as he sat on the edge of the bed, thumbing through the familiar pages. He wondered what Nico had thought when he was going on about why he knew Reyna would show up at Diocletian’s Palace in Croatia. Their shared interest in the last pagan Emperor of Rome. Something that Nico had already known about in detail.

He looked up when he heard the sound of rubber scuffing against the marble floor. A figure stood there, almost hidden in the shadows of one corner of the room.

Jason closed the book slowly and folded his hands over it in his lap, “Exspectata domus1, Nico.”

There was a tired sigh, and Nico stepped out of the shadows, eyes shifting to look anywhere but directly at the son of Jupiter. “Last I checked, this wasn’t your room, Grace.”

“I was looking for you.”

Nico shuffled past, to place his Stygian Iron sword on a rack set next to an empty pedestal that looked like a carbon copy of the ones that normally displayed a bust of Terminus around the city’s border. Jason wondered when Nico had made that arrangement with the god of boundaries. He didn’t remember seeing the pedestal and stand before.

“Haven’t you given that up yet?” Nico turned back on the room, eyes still sweeping over Jason, as though he couldn’t stand to look at him.

“No. I told you we have unfinished business.”

Nico’s voice sounded exhausted, and his shoulders drooped. “Not now. I just want to sleep.”

“I’ll wait.”

That forced Nico to look at him. “Get out.”

“If I leave, you’ll disappear before I have a chance to talk to you again. We already played that one out at Camp Half-Blood.”

“You can’t just,” Nico’s eyes lit on the book in Jason’s lap, and fire flared in those dark eyes for a moment. “Give. That. Back.”

“Why? It’s my book.” Jason opened it again, fingers splaying over the indents on the title page that probably would have horrified a book collector, but meant the world to him.

“You don’t remember. It doesn’t mean anything to you.”

“It means a lot to me.” Jason spoke softly, letting his eyes drop down to the book. “It was the first birthday present you ever gave to me.”

“It’s not yours.” Nico’s voice was tired and broken sounding. “It isn’t yours, Grace. You can’t have it.”

“To Jason,” He read the handwritten dedication aloud. “For the golden boy who took in one more stray. With Lo--”

“Stop it!”

Jason looked up again, blue eyes holding the dark ones that seemed on the verge of tears. He carefully placed the book beside him on the bed. “Please, just talk to me.”

Nico swallowed hard before speaking. “I don’t know what there is to talk about.”

“Start by sitting down. Look at me.”

Nico looked around awkwardly, whether he was searching for an escape route or just for some place to sit that wasn’t anywhere near him, Jason wasn’t sure.

Jason got up and crossed the intervening space, taking Nico’s wrist in his hand, and pulling him over to sit down on the edge of the bed. He found a chair in a corner and pulled it over, sitting down directly in front of Nico, in a reversal of that night almost three weeks after the end of the Titan War.

_So much had changed. Jason was no longer a member of the Legion, but the elected Pontifex Maximus of New Rome. He had a new duty, to the gods, that had him traveling between the camps every few days. He wore glasses now, and had grown stronger. He’d known the Greeks almost as well as he knew his Roman brethren. He’d experienced a life outside the Legion. He’d met his sister and learned about his mother’s fate. He’d met his father, and insulted the king of the gods in front of the entire Olympian Pantheon in defense of Apollo. He’d lost his home and his memory and gained a new one. He had found his original home again. He’d grown stronger in ways that went beyond physical strength. He’d had a love that wasn’t Nico. He’d lost Nico. He’d learned what it was to have his heart broken._

_Nico, who had once spent most of his time in New Rome had returned to wandering, almost as homeless as he had been when Jason had first met him. There was a paleness to his olive complexion and something haunted in his eyes that Jason knew he would never completely recover from. He was taller and thinner, and jagged wolf scars decorated his biceps -- time spent growing up (and apart, a traitorous part of his brain supplied) in the months they’d been separated permanently etched into his body. He was stronger too. He’d shadow traveled from Epirus to Long Island, raised a dead Roman Legion, walked through Tartarus alone. He’d grown close to his half-sister who had been a brand new addition to camp when Jason had disappeared. He had lost what should have been the most stable thing in his life, Jason, who had once sworn to never again let him experience the kind of abandonment he had inadvertently been responsible for._

Nico looked away from him, the silence between them a heavy weight in the air. “I don’t know what you expect from me.”

“Neither do I.” Jason spoke softly, as afraid to spook him as he had once been with Dust, a cat who now strutted around Temple Hill as though it were his own personal kingdom. “I know what I hope for.”

“Maybe you should fill me in.”

 _It was probably the best opening he was going to get._ Jason reached across the intervening space to smooth his hand across Nico’s temple, his fingers brushing back and tangling in Nico’s hair as they moved until his palm came to rest against the side of Nico’s head, pulling him back to look at him. “First of all, I **_do_** remember. Maybe it’s still a little foggy in places, but I remember. Especially the important parts.”

Under his hand, he felt Nico grit his teeth and swallow a lump in his throat. He pulled him gently forward until their foreheads were touching, eyes inches apart. “I am _**still**_ in love with you Nico.”

Nico closed his eyes and took a shaky breath, but he didn’t pull away. “You moved on. Piper...”

“Piper was just as manipulated as I was. We were thrown together with memories of things, of a past that never happened. We weren’t given a choice. It was wrong. It was cruel. We could never know if anything we felt was real or just Juno’s meddling, and neither of us want that.”

“But you felt something. You have a chance for something that isn’t broken.”

“I want you.” He tipped forward, noses brushing to the side in a practiced motion to place a chaste kiss on Nico’s lips. It was so unlike that awkward first kiss with bumping noses and embarrassed laughs, but he would have given almost anything to rekindle that same joy.

When they separated, there was a minuscule shake of Nico’s head, but he made no move to pull out of Jason’s grasp. “You forgot me. I talked to him you know; Percy never forgot.”

_That was it. That was what Nico couldn’t forgive him for. Forgetting him. That moment standing in Camp Half-Blood where he’d looked at him with absolutely zero recognition. Jason wasn’t sure he could ever truly forgive himself for it. He should have been stronger than that. He had been certain his love was stronger than a goddess, even if she was the queen._

“Percy only lost his memories. He didn’t have new memories trying to overwrite his life.”

“I know. I know,” Nico’s eyes darted around, from Jason’s eyes to his lips, to the hand at the side of his face and back to meet Jason’s eyes. “It isn’t the stray’s fault, right? I just wasn’t...”

“It isn’t your fault either. You were always good enough.” Jason closed his eyes. “One mistake, and I’ll never have the chance to earn your trust again?”

“Grace...”

“I failed you, and I am willing to spend the rest of my life trying to make that up to you. If you’ll let me.”

There was a choked inhale of breath and Nico pulled away, one hand covering his face. Jason didn’t need to see it to know that he was crying.

“Nico...”

“No.”

Jason’s throat tightened and he couldn’t get himself to move. His body sagged and he curled in on himself, his hands crooking into claws around his knees, trying to will himself not to shatter. He stared at the floor, wondering if he would cry now or if he’d forgotten that too. An eternity seemed to pass where he knew he’d been rejected. He should leave. He didn't want to leave. Didn't want to lose Nico forever. Because if hre left now, it would certainly be the end of whatever remained between them. He was rooted to the spot.

He startled when a long fingered hand landed on his wrist.

“That’s not fair.” A hand tipped his chin up to force him to look into dark eyes. “You’re not supposed to cry. You should be relieved to be free of me.”

Jason’s voice was choked and raw sounding, “That would _**never**_ happen.”

“You’re making this,” Nico bit his lip and blinked back a couple of tears before he continued. “I can’t do this again. I can’t have you just to lose you again. I just can’t handle it.”

Jason leaned forward, moving his arms to box Nico in. Nico’s hand shifted to caress the side of Jason’s face and then place his palm against his chest.

“So don’t make this any harder than it already is. Just let me give you up.”

“I can’t do that. I can’t lose you.” Jason wished he knew how to make him understand. “If you still love me at all, I can’t give up. I would never leave you of my own free will. _**Never.**_ ”

“Jason...”

His eyes widened to hear his name on Nico’s lips again after so long, and he actually felt the tears running down his cheeks this time.

Nico’s eyes seemed to search his for something, and whatever it was, he must have found it. Nico’s hands were on his face and his lips against his in a way he thought he’d never have again. The only warning he received was Nico repeating his name again. “Jason.”

* * *

 

“Hey Pontifex,” Dakota put down a box in the Jupiter Optimus Maximus temple, next to the others. “Please tell me this is the last of it.”

“Nope,” Nico came in behind him. He kissed Jason on the cheek before adding his box to the growing collection. “Another wagonload just came up. I don’t remember there being this much junk for the Saturnalia festival before.”

“There wasn’t,” Dakota groused. “Remind me who made this overzealous lunkhead Pontifex again? I need to punch them.”

“That would be the entire Senate, including yourself,” Jason grinned. “Good luck with that.”

“I think I liked him better when he was too busy chasing you down between temple constructions to organize any festivals.”

“No you didn’t,” Nico smirked at Dakota. “You still want me down at the training field to work on melee situations with Fifth Cohort this afternoon, or are you going to need a nap, old man?”

“My cohort’s going to kick your smug ass, Ambassador.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, that's finally all finished and up here. I hope everyone enjoyed.
> 
> Translations:  
> 1\. “Exspectata domus” (Latin) – Welcome Home


End file.
